Klay Thompson Introduced By Dallas Mavericks + Why He Left Warriors I CBS Sports

Klay Thompson Introduced By Dallas Mavericks + Why He Left Warriors I CBS Sports

last year we had a pretty successful year we did come up a little bit short but like every other team in this league except for one uh we look win into this summer trying to get better and I think with the addition of these three young men here uh we’re taking a step in the right direction and trying to get better uh we have three great young men who I think would do a great job for us on and off and we’re very excited to have them u a part of the M Mavericks organization so without further Ado open up for questions Mike Mike Dallas Mar news just want to say welcome to Clay n quick um this question is for clay just after 13 years with the Warriors um while was now the time to um depart for a new team and what made Dallas the destination for you um well uh I mean whether you play basketball or work in the corporate world or wherever whatever industry sometimes change just can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do do wonders and um I’m very grateful for my time at uh Golden State but um I just felt like you know moving on could just re-energize me and uh do something special for the rest of my career and Dallas was so attracted because of the young players they have the style of play the uh you know world class treatment these players get from this organization and just a beautiful city who loves their Hoops um so when I was watching the playoffs and I’m watching the mass you know make a run for the championship uh I just saw myself fitting in really well with this team and the personnel and um they look like they have fun playing with each other and they play for each other and that was very attractive for me and um that’s really all I needed to see and there’s mutual interest there and that’s why I’m here Tim with the athletic um clay you obviously were were in the leag when when Luca entered and and debuted I’m curious your thoughts on you know first impressions of him and what you’ve seen from him as as he’s gone from a rookie to to a superstar than uh the other two Naj Quinton I’m just curious what your expectations are you know to play with Luca what what you think it’s going to look like feel like be like y’all got it everybody know LCA is one of the top players in the NBA so I feel like our job is to go out there play as hard as we can and just try to get back to the position they was in last year and hopefully winning championship and then playing with Luca he makes everybody else on the court job a lot easier um for me as a shooter just is coming in just learning from Klay one of the best Shooters to ever touch touch a basketball so playing with luuka to be fun cuz he draws so much attention defensively so bet to knock down open shots make plays and just do what I can to help this team win yeah kind of like um Q said um Luke is an amazing player so um just to learn from him and you know just to play with him make the game easier for him um even to learn from like Klay and Quinn who were great Shooters so um I’m just excited to play with everybody looking forward to it but yeah Luca is an amazing player and just to make the game easier for him I mean niji and Quinton said it the Luca even before he got in the NBA you watch his Euro League highlights and you’re like this 18yearold is doing this to grown men it’s crazy so uh the impact he had on a rookie too you could see that he had greatness ahead of him I mean I think pretty sure he gave us a triple double and Oracle like in 2019 as a rookie and I don’t think that’s happened to us maybe like a LeBron or Tim Duncan so to you saw the potential early and I think just playing off him Kai and the rest of the guys uh I can help them space the floor and knock down shots or play defense whatever is needed Timmy P ESPN uh clay I’m sure you’ve heard and I know you had conversations with Steph and Steve Kerr what has this been like for you uh just emotionally kind of going through divorce is probably not the right work you know closing that chapter after 13 years just everything goes along with that um I mean probably a little disappointed at first but then as time goes on you have a lot of time to reflect and you realize what you did uh they can’t take that away from you as far as the Championships or I mean records are meant to be broken but the impact you have on a community and all that uh that will forever live and sometimes you know breakups are necessary to uh do what’s right and I’m not the first athlete in the NBA to go through this I did grew up in Portland and I remember uh when Scotti Pippen came to the Blazers that was like the biggest day of my life and I’m not saying I’m Scotty but uh they were they were right there against the Lakers almost want a chip so I take a lot of inspiration from past athletes and how their careers might have gone you know astray when they either left the team or join a new team and some guys Thrive and I I look forward to just kind of being rejuvenated here and playing a lot a lot good basketball left in the tank very you on for a question to play for you just two-part question what was your relationship with kyri Y how that influenced you making the decision to come to Dallas and how would you define yourself as a player at this stage of your career and what that means to help this mavers team try to my chance [Music] some good questions um Kyrie and I are good friends I mean we came in the lead together in 2011 we played on Team USA together twice obviously played against each other in the highest stages for many years and I’ve always been a fan of ka’s game and guarding him was hell so it’s nice to be on the other end of that for once and see other Defenders get loose and get shook by him that’s going to be a good sight to see and then uh part two at this point in my career I mean still can’t leave me open and uh I can guard and I’m just excited I still think I can do what I’ve been able to do and it’s just about being in the best shape I can possibly be but I know I can um help this team uh whether it’s the knowledge I’ve gained or um big big scoring nights I just uh still know I can be a very very good player in this league uh welcome guys Blake Elliot 105 through def FAS for all of y’all one of the marks that this match team made was kind of defense and toughness I just wonder how much all three of y’all identify with that and help to implement that with this match team sh well I say playing against these two I mean that’s why they’re here not cuz they it’s pretty because they lock up they’re willing to do the Dirty Work and I’ve got against both them so we’re going to have some battles in practice I’m excited about that definitely um that’s kind of myo um toughness defense so one of the things I bring to the game um and something I love to do so like you said you know that’s kind of what they uh use to get what they got this year and I’m just here to pick up whatever slack they lost or just add to yeah same thing just re what they said just coming in that was kind of my calling card coming in from Houston playing for Coach Samson kind of you can’t play defense you’re not going to be on the floor so playing for TBS as well too if you don’t play defense and scraping fight for every 50-50 ball you know I go the court so I just what I try to do from day one and I’m going still do it till I can’t play this game anymore really edd.com how you well all of you really I’m sure had times to guard Luka but you in particular what what was it like trying to lock him down and be on side it’s definitely a relief um man Luc is a high level player man so locking down I won’t use that word but maintain you know um all three levels just unbelievable so just to be on his team like Kay said let him do that to other people I’m going get enjoyment out of that for real and don’t recall it’s been a long time but I don’t remember if Steve Francis wents at Tacoma Park but did you break all his records around that area uh no I did um he he was from that area I don’t think with Tacoma Park but I would have had to go there for a long time to do all that [Music] scruds nbc5 Michael first question for you you know what it’s like to be an Allstar player with the franchise then making the move like you did to the Spurs what conversations do you have with Clay about that and then for clay obviously your dad Michael long time Laker radio voice came out and said he was disappointed you guys made up on that okay house um well to answer your question we talked about this at dinner and it wasn’t about the basketball I talked to him more about the experience and the veteran leadership that he can bring to the team um the difference is he was a champion going to a different team and I was a guy trying to get a championship but the experience in veteran leadership we do have uh common commonality there and I think with with Clay he can bring that experience that knowledge for the young kids I mean for the young players as well as uh Luca and Kai so experience is is key and I think he he brings that to the table so Michael Finley of course now the front offense he was a knockdown shooter back in his days with the Mavs but Klay Thompson maybe to bring that to a team that is looking to win a title got to the finals this year but fell a little short to the Celtics who are now the favorite once again plus 300 then you got the Thunder at 750 then we find the Mavs there at 10 to one now with the big three of clay Luca and Kyrie

Hear from Klay Thompson being introduced as member of the Dallas Mavericks.

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