Klay Thompson is one of the biggest names in the NBA. Thompson, 35, is a former Golden State Warriors star guard widely known as one-half of the “Splash Brothers,” alongside Stephen Curry. The “Splash Brothers'” three-pointers shined day in and day out as the duo shared the record for most three-pointers made in a single edition of the NBA Playoffs with 98.
Klay Thompson’s resume can speak for itself. Thompson succeeded with four NBA titles, along with five NBA All-Star selections, two All-NBA honors, and one NBA All-Defensive selection. Thompson is one of those players whose stat sheet might not show what he did in a game unless he couldn’t make a single shot.
Thompson was one of the biggest names in the 2024 NBA free agency. So, why would Thompson choose Dallas over Los Angeles? Thompson reportedly wanted a change of scenery. Given the fact that he’s an LA native, Thompson’s reasoning was understandable, but his father, Mychal Thompson, would disagree. Here’s why.
Thoughts From Klay Thompson’s Father
When it was clear that Klay Thompson wouldn’t finish his NBA career in the Bay Area, he reportedly called his father, former Los Angeles Lakers center Mychal Thompson, and asked him for advice. Mychal told Klay that ending his career in Los Angeles would be the perfect scenario for him. Not only were the Lakers his father’s final NBA team, but Klay grew up as a Lakers fan who rooted for the Purple and Gold and admired Kobe Bryant.
In a recent episode of the “Run It Back” podcast, Mychal said the stars looked so aligned for Klay in LA. Mychal said, “He’s got his boat down there in Marina del Rey; his house is five or ten minutes away from the practice facility in Hermosa Beach. Everything was perfect for him to finish his career here. His family’s here. His nephews and nieces are here. He can see them grow up in the next few years together. They could come to games. So I thought it was the perfect situation for him to finish his career.”
Mychal reportedly tried to recruit Klay to the Lakers and it almost worked. In the same episode, Mychal said, “It was the perfect situation to finish his career for the team he rooted for growing up. He was a Kobe (Bryant) guy. Next thing I knew he’s talking to Luka (Doncic) and Kyrie (Irving)…they convinced him to go to Dallas.”
Career Of Klay Thompson’s Father
Mychal Thompson is the father of NBA player Klay Thompson, former NBA player Mychal Thompson, and MLB Outfielder Trayce Thompson, who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox. But there’s more than meets the eye, as Mychal was the former No. 1 overall pick of the 1978 NBA Draft out of Minnesota. Mychal was born and raised in a Catholic family in Nassau, Bahamas, and moved to the United States to compete at a higher level.
Final Thoughts
Mychal Thompson has a point. Klay Thompson looked like he was going to be a Golden State Warrior for life, but suffered various injuries and ultimately couldn’t agree on a contract. That led him to leave the Golden State Warriors in free agency. Klay got his wish to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after signing a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
When the trio started to understand each other on and off the court, Dallas surprisingly traded Doncic, now 26, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Power Forward Anthony Davis. According to Mychal, Klay was disappointed with the move and what Dallas got in return.
Mychal said, “Losing Luka (Doncic) was a disappointment, but you didn’t trade him for some backup center or role player. You’re getting a legitimate all-NBA big man who’s only 32 and got 4 or 5 prime years left. So even though he was disappointed to lose Luka because he liked him personally and as a teammate, I said, ‘Man, just appreciate Anthony Davis cuz he’s gonna make your job, your life a lot easier having that big guy to bail you out of situations.”
Davis suffered a left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut but returned from his injury following a six-week absence. However, Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee and reportedly underwent a successful surgery two weeks ago. If Davis stays healthy, Dallas can tread water until Irving returns sometime next season, so Klay Thompson can justify his reason for choosing Dallas over Los Angeles.
