“A New Era Begins” – ESPN believes Klay Thompson will is key to Mavs winning NBA champs next season

“A New Era Begins” – ESPN believes Klay Thompson will is key to Mavs winning NBA champs next season

Klay Thompson wasn’t just a great shooter at Golden State he was an entire Vibe he leaves fellow Splash Brothers Steph Curry and the Warriors for a new chapter in his career after agreeing to a three-year $50 million contract with the Mavericks Michelle steel has more on the start of a new era in tonight’s sports center report new number who’s this Klay Thompson making the move official showing off his new number 31 Jersey while his new teammate will be wearing the familiar number 11 well uh Kyrie took my number so I was pretty no I’m just kidding after 13 years with the Warriors Thompson has embraced a new outlook as he embarks on the next chapter sometimes change just can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do do wonders and 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 do something special for the rest of my career it does suck leaving losing clay and there’s no no two ways around it so um you have to be able to celebrate what we accomplished but then be able to move on at Team USA camp this week Steph Curry was still wrapping his mind around the loss of a core member of the Golden State Dynasty along with Draymond Green the Warriors big three have won four championships and played in six finals in their decade plus together but when it became clear contract negotiation were not going to go his way Thompson knew his time was up Dallas was so attractive because of the young players they have the style of play when I was watching the playoffs and I’m watching the MAV you know make a run for the championship 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 that’s really all I needed to see and there’s mutual interest there and that’s why I’m here and this former Splash brother says he’s zeroed in on one thing winning I’m not really into breaking more shooting records I just want to win at this point that’s that’s what that’s what I learned in Golden State like everyone’s got to make sacrifices to win at the highest level and I’ll make sacrifices for the team but as long as we play winning basketball that’s that’s all that matters Thompson might not get to wear number 11 in Dallas but no one for the time being will be wearing number 11 at Golden State the team recently announcing they will be retiring his number whenever his career ends now if it’s up to him that will not be anytime soon saying there’s a lot of good basketball left in the tank I’m Michelle steel ESPN Michelle thank you according to ESPN bet the Mavericks are 4 to one to repeat as Western Conference Champs tie with the Timberwolves for the third shortest odds the nuggets and thunder co- favorites at plus 360 each was introduced for the first time as a Maverick where he used the word rejuvenated John when referring to his this new fresh start out in Dallas let’s listen 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 masss 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 so some people change their haircuts some people pick up a new hobby Klay Thompson just leaves for a western conference rival when he needs a fresh start he said he felt like moving on could re-energize him change can be good like he said change can spur greatness John what does a re-energized clay add to a Mavericks team that’s eager to get over the hump yeah it’s it’s a nice fit for him it’s just weird though Kiana right I mean like seeing I want nice things for Klay Thompson the divorce did not go well obviously uh they parted company and he didn’t want to leave and then eventually realized that he had to go but it was weird to see him sitting with the Mavericks logo over his shoulder I just never thought we’d see Klay Thompson in any uniform but a Warriors uniform but the the Mavericks are very fortunate to have him yes he had a Down Season last year but he’s only 34 years old I think uh reports of his demise have been a little ere exaggerated here he shot 39% from Deep last year in a down year that’s pretty good most players would take that and after the All-Star break he shot 41% from three that’s really good okay he’s taken a step back defensively there’s no doubt about that but I he still has really good effort at that end of the floor and he’s not going to be the guy that he was you know 5 years ago who Among Us are but he will be serviceable at that end and I think on the whole when you look at replacing Derrick Jones Jr with Klay Thompson yes slight step back defensively light ears better offensively so I think it’s a net win for the Mavericks you already know that it’s going to be Luca and Kyrie Irving show all you’re really asking him to do is Sprint the wings catch and shoot threes play as much defense as he can be a good teammate these are all things that are in the realm of possibility for Klay Thompson so I think it’s going to be a really ni nice fit for both of them yeah I go back to what you said at the top of your response but it’s just kind of different watching Klay Thompson in that blue 13 years for title Splash Bros it’s going to be a little different but hey like you said he might have had a down year if you want to call it that but still one of the best Shooters of this era all right let’s move on Kate Cunningham has agreed to a 5year $224 million Max extension with the Nick Bridges held his introductory press conference on Tuesday and discussed the forsome who w at all at villain NOA in 2016 reuniting in blue and orange man I was I was actually not usually I’m home I don’t travel that much but I was traveling and um just crazy when happened you know I just it was just it was just wild you know it just not thinking that was going to happen and you know it was it was just a crazy moment it was really crazy and teammates I mean you know everybody’s great you know got relationships with a lot of people obviously outside manova guys you know OG and I was excited you know when they signed him back you know I always been a big fan of OG and I think I you know said a lot of things about him you know when I was in Phoenix and Brooklyn as well so you know I got a lot of players Julius everybody so I’m excited you obviously you got you know two All Team guys you know with with JB and Julius so you know how I play basketball just good brand in basketball I know how to you know make winning plays play the right way so you know I think I’m fit in pretty well well since the Knick’s last NBA Finals appearance during that 1998 99 season this marks the third shortest odds they’ve had to win the title currently at plus 950 they sit behind the Celtics and Sixers in the East for the shortest odds to win it all next [Music] year and so we now welcome in CVS sports NBA analyst John Gonzalez as we dive into the expectations following free agency around the association and I want to begin things with that Blockbuster tradeit that reunited that fourth member of the Nova Knicks and Jaylen Brunson said on his podcast that Bridges will fit seamlessly as there won’t be a big adjustment adding him to the rotation and John I want to ask you do you agree that this is a seamless fit for New York and it boosts the Knick’s title chances yeah absolutely Keana and it very well should because they gave up five first round picks including four of them being unprotected so it better be a seamless pit but it will be I mean he reunites as he mentioned with his Nova guys and it’s just a perfect pie for them because it adds another Wing Defender three and D guy alongside OG anobi who’s just really reliable and really solid and always available which is some nice insurance against OG anobi who has had a pretty significant injury history male Bridges played all 82 games the last three seasons in six seasons in the NBA Kiana he’s only missed 17 games he’s just always out there he’s that three and D guy that everybody in the NBA could use and now the use him and on top of that it makes them so much deeper because you add him into the starting lineup along with OG which means what Josh Hart and dant D chenzo who were awesome for them last year they end up sliding to the bench now the Knicks are legitimately eight deep when you add in dece McBride and then who knows what’s going to happen for the backup center behind uh Mitchell Robinson but they could be even nine deep so yes they are they’re loaded there’s a reason why their odds are uh pretty significant to challenge the Celtics in the Eastern conference and I think they’re going to do that you know and what you brought up which is really important is considering his health and you talked about the number of games he’s missed he’s very durable and what was the storyline for the Knicks coming into this postseason they were missing so many guys due to injuries so certainly a boost right there having him on the floor but meanwhile out west after a historic 13-year run in the Bay Area Clay Thompson for let y e for leg for St for for for for

“A New Era Begins” – ESPN believes Klay Thompson will is key to Mavs winning NBA champs next season