Warriors fans in tears after Klay Thompson's heartfelt goodbye

07/06/2024 01:28 AM

It may have been a long time coming, but that doesn’t make Klay Thompson’s departure from the Golden State Warriors for the Dallas Mavericks any less sad. Thompson, after all, spent 13 fruitful years with the Warriors and he formed arguably the best backcourt in NBA history alongside Stephen Curry, helping the Dubs to four championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. On Friday night, Thompson made his departure sink in that much more deeply in the minds of Warriors fans after he penned a heartfelt goodbye message on his official Instagram account.

Thompson wrote about how grateful he is for all the memories he shared with the Warriors and all the achievements he and the Dubs notched during his 13-year stint with the franchise. He also expressed how important the friendships he had built during his long tenure with the franchise is to his development as a person, and how much of an honor it was for him to don the Warriors jersey in front of one of the most passionate fanbases for as long as he did.

Saying goodbye is never easy. There are lot of emotions involved to parting ways and the Warriors fanbase, understandably so, couldn’t hide their sadness over Klay Thompson’s departure, pouring their hearts out in the comments section of the new Mavericks guard’s heartfelt post.

“ I love you Klay this is really hard.” – @_lenamari_3

“All the homies are crying rn.” –  @rahmaanhameedstudios

“I'm not crying (totally ugly crying right now).” – @slyry

“We love you Klay! You're always appreciated and admired here. And Rocco too! .” – @thenancymarmolejo

“Thank you so much Klay!! I'll continue to support you where ever you go. .” – @bebephat8o8

The best-case scenario from here on out is for the Warriors to have success even as Klay Thompson charts a new path in his career. But for now, Dubs fans are basking in their grief now that they have to see Thompson don a Mavericks uniform for at least the next three years.

Klay Thompson and the Warriors show that there is a ‘good’ in ‘goodbye’

Rarely are break-ups mutually beneficial. But in the case of Klay Thompson and the Warriors, both parties seem to be better off as they now look to go in different directions moving forward.

For Thompson, he will become a member of the Mavericks franchise that has rarely failed in taking care of its players; Kyrie Irving, a man who brought with himself plenty of baggage, found himself rejuvenated with the Mavs as the team took him in as one of its own and showered him with the appreciation he needs to thrive. Irving’s stock was an all-time low during the 2022-23 season, but the Mavs took a chance on him and that gambit paid dividends in the form of a trip to the NBA Finals in 2024.

This is no small deal for Klay Thompson; he felt unappreciated and set aside as he struggled in his final season with the Warriors. In fact, the Warriors were about to bring him off the bench and have him play a reduced role. Thus, the Mavericks should provide a perfect atmosphere for him to rediscover his basketball joy.

Moreover, the Mavericks should be the perfect fit for him, basketball-wise; with the Warriors, he needed to be the second option on offense due to the team’s dearth of high-level scorers. In Dallas, Thompson slots in as a role player extraordinaire who will feast on the open looks a Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving-centric offense creates. Thompson does not have to force shots the way he did amid his struggles for the Dubs last season.

On the other hand, the Warriors, instead of committing around $20 million for next season to Thompson, managed to spread the wealth around the roster. For around $28 million in 2024-25 money, the Warriors were able to sign De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield — three players who should have a greater impact on the team as a collective than Thompson would have given on his own.

Thompson’s floor-spacing and defense will be missed, but Melton is a more livewire defensive presence, especially in passing lanes, while Hield is the rare player who can approximate Thompson’s Hall of Fame-level production from beyond the arc. Moreover, adding Anderson gives the Warriors another versatile forward defender.

Klay Thompson’s departure may have marked a sad day in the Warriors franchise. Fans will definitely miss Thompson given how much he contributed to the franchise’s success over the past decade or so. But this parting of ways only serves to prove that there is indeed a “good” in goodbye.

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