The towel draped over Thompson and Davis heads told the whole story. With 5:22 left on the clock at FedExForum, the superstar big man limped to the bench, his calf screaming in pain after taking a knee from Memphis center Zach Edey. That towel wasn’t just covering his face—it was shrouding the end of one of the most emotionally charged seasons in Dallas Mavericks history.

Davis had just poured his heart out for 40 points, his highest total in a Mavs uniform. But it wasn’t enough. The 120-106 loss to the Grizzlies ended Dallas’ season in the Western Conference play-in game, capping off what teammate Klay Thompson called a “tumultuous” campaign that nobody saw coming.

Thompson and Davis: An Unlikely Partnership Born from Chaos

Twelve months ago, the Mavericks were celebrating their NBA Finals appearance. Fast forward to this past season, and everything had been flipped upside down. General manager Nico Harrison shocked the basketball world by trading franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis. The move sent ripples through Dallas that are still being felt today.

Thompson, meanwhile, had made his own leap of faith. The four-time champion left the Golden State Warriors—the only NBA home he’d ever known—to chase another ring in Dallas. He specifically wanted to play alongside Kyrie Irving, a player he’d battled against for years and considered one of the toughest competitors he’d ever faced.

“He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever guarded,” Thompson said about Irving. “I put him up there with LeBron, KD, and Kobe. He’s got no weaknesses in this game.”

But fate had other plans. Thompson and Irving managed just 45 games together before Irving’s torn ACL in early March ended his season prematurely. Davis, nursing his own demons with a strained left adductor that cost him six weeks, watched helplessly as the season slipped away.

The Weight of Expectations

The emotional toll wasn’t just physical. Dallas fans, still reeling from losing their beloved Dončić, made their feelings known at every home game. Chants calling for Harrison’s firing echoed through American Airlines Center, reaching a crescendo when Dončić returned with the Lakers on April 9 and dropped 45 points in an emotional homecoming.

“Obviously, it’s a lot of emotions that I know is not directed toward me,” Davis reflected after the season-ending loss. “The city loved Luka. You get rid of the guy, new guy comes in. While they want to embrace you and are thankful for you, it still stings.”

Davis could have shut it down for the season. With Irving injured and playoff hopes dimming, some within the organization suggested he protect his health for next year. But the eight-time All-Star had something to prove—to himself, to his new city, and to the fans who were still learning to love him.

“I think the fans deserved it, my teammates deserved it, organization deserved it for myself to come out and just do whatever I can to get back on the floor,” Davis said, his voice carrying the weight of a man who’d left everything on the court.

Thompson’s Gamble and the Road Not Taken

For Thompson, the season represented a massive gamble that didn’t pay off—at least not yet. He’d turned down a more lucrative offer from the Lakers specifically to play in Dallas, believing the Mavericks gave him his best shot at another championship. The plan was to complement Irving’s playmaking with his deadly three-point shooting, creating a dynamic backcourt that could terrorize opposing defenses.

Instead, Thompson found himself answering uncomfortable questions about whether he regretted his decision. When pressed on the topic after the elimination loss, the normally composed shooter showed rare vulnerability.

“Don’t do this to me. Don’t do that to me. Don’t do that,” Thompson said, dropping his head and shaking it with a pained laugh. “That’s kind of a ridiculous question. I don’t own a time machine, and I don’t believe in going back, looking back.”

His response revealed the depth of his disappointment. This wasn’t just about basketball statistics or contract dollars—it was about a championship window that might be closing faster than anyone anticipated.

Finding Silver Linings in the Storm

Despite the frustration, both Thompson and Davis found reasons for optimism. Coach Jason Kidd called the 39-43 campaign an “incredible season,” pointing to the resilience his team showed in the face of adversity.

“When you look at the injuries that we’ve had and the change, for us to even be here playing in this game tonight, it’s incredible,” Kidd said. “It just shows the character of that group in that locker room.”

Thompson echoed those sentiments, his voice filled with genuine pride despite the disappointment. “We were down to eight, nine guys at one point, and we held up the fort and got into the play-in and gave ourselves a shot to get to the playoffs. It sucks. It really sucks, but I’m really proud of every man in this locker room.”

The veteran shooter’s words carried weight. At 35 years old, Thompson has seen enough basketball to know that seasons like this can either break a team or forge championship-level character. His belief in his teammates, even after such a difficult year, speaks to the foundation being built in Dallas.

The Promise of Tomorrow

Thompson’s most telling comments came when discussing Irving’s eventual return. The two players, draft classmates from 2011, had barely scratched the surface of their potential together before injury intervened.

“If we could be whole again, because we only got to see it for one half last year, and I felt like we had a chance to be the best team in the league,” Thompson said. “But the injury bug hit us, but we are all hungry this year, and he’s such a great leader.”

That hunger is palpable. Davis, despite the physical pain and emotional exhaustion, spoke like a man with unfinished business. Thompson, despite the questions about his decision to come to Dallas, remains committed to the vision that brought him there in the first place.

Looking Ahead: Thompson and Davis Ready for Redemption

The beauty of sports lies in its capacity for redemption. Thompson and Davis, two players who’ve tasted championship glory elsewhere, now find themselves bound together by shared adversity in Dallas. Their partnership, forged in the crucible of a disappointing season, might just be the foundation for something special.

Irving’s return will be crucial, but it’s the relationship between Thompson and Davis that could define the Mavericks’ future. Both players have proven they can perform under pressure. Both have championship DNA. And both have something to prove after a season that tested every ounce of their mental toughness.

The 2024-25 season may have ended in disappointment, but it also revealed the character of two players who refused to quit when everything was falling apart around them. That kind of resilience doesn’t just disappear in the offseason—it becomes the foundation for championship runs.