Klay Thompson on Joining Dallas Mavericks: “You Still Can’t Leave Me Open!”

Klay Thompson on Joining Dallas Mavericks: “You Still Can’t Leave Me Open!”

for a question for clay for you just two-part question what was your relationship with Kyrie Irving and how that influenced you making the decision to come to Dallas and how would you define yourself as a player at this stage in your career and what that means to help this Mavericks team try to win a championship going forward some good questions um Kyrie and I are good friends I mean we came in the leag 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 Kai’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 Klay Thompson is a Dallas Maverick and you might recognize me in somebody else’s digs this is inside the Mavs [Music] [Music] welcome to inside the Mavs presented by Aura I’m your host Kevin gray Maverick preul game H in the Dallas Maverick radio network appreciate you joining me here for the latest episode of inside the M make sure you download And subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcast for free give it a five star rating and write a review for it while you’re there and if you’re watching this on my YouTube channel Kevin gr Sports make sure you like and comment on the video as well and subscribe to Kevin gry Sports here on YouTube and you can follow me on X at Kevin Grace Sports as well you may recognize where I am I’m not in my customary uh recording space but you may recognize this because I’m at my homies Nick aat spot as you can tell by the stuff in the background so shout out to Nick for allowing me to hang out in his space for a little bit as we recap what happened with the Dallas Mavericks as they introduced Klay Thompson Naji Marshall and Clinton Grimes as they are officially your newest Dallas Mavericks Klay Thompson Naji Marshall Clinton Grimes getting acclimated to the Dallas media for the first time as you heard at the opening of the show Klay Thompson excited about the opportunity to be with Dallas of course after 13 Seasons Four NBA championships a guy who had one point scored 37 points in a quarter in NBA record 60 points on 11 dribbles Klay Thompson has had an illustrious career and now brings that Championship experience and that talent to Dallas where he tries to help the Mavericks be able to win a championship after falling of course in five games to the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals this year it was a spirited atmosphere at the Mavericks practice facility as Klay Thompson Naji Marshall and Quinton Grimes now have an opportunity to help this team be able to move forward what has been a successful off season for this match team and for clay you could tell that he is ready for a fresh start for a player that saw his time end in Golden State not the way that he necessarily wanted to but not necessarily having had hard feelings about leaving Golden State now has a chance with Luca donic and Kyrie Irving to be able to forge a new chapter in his career for Quinton Grimes a Dallas or Texas native I should say having a chance to come home where of course now he played at the University of Houston he’ll be three hours away for his family to be able to come and see him play he talked about that a little bit during the press conference as well and for Naji Marshall at 26 years of age coming over from the New Orleans Pelicans spending his first four seasons there a young player that’s a physical tough Defender that’s going to be able to knock down chops from the outside all three of these players will fit in nicely for what the Mavericks are trying to achieve based off of what they didn’t have in terms of some shooting during the NBA finals and Klay Thompson of course the largest member coming to the Dallas Mavericks you heard it in the opening I’ll play it again because I want you to have an understanding of what Klay Thompson is being able to feel now coming to Dallas but most importantly I had a chance to ask him what his relationship was with Kyrie Irving and how that affected his decision to come to Dallas and what still defines him as a player at this stage in his career that will allow him to ultimately be successful here with the Dallas Mavericks here’s what he had to say for a question for clay for you just two-part question what was your relationship with Kyrie Irving and how that influenced you making the decision to come to Dallas and how would you define yourself as a player at this stage in your career and what that means to help this Mavericks team try to win a championship going forward some good questions um Kai re 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 today’s video is brought to you by Aura do a Google search on your name and email address and see how much information comes up about you I was devastated by the amount of information that I could be seeing searching my name and profile and I knew then I needed to be protected for not just myself but also for my family data Brokers sell your information to scammers spammers and anyone else who may want to Target you your full name email home address health records your relatives it’s all out there that’s why I’ve been using Aura the sponsor of today’s video or shows me which data Brokers are selling my information and automatically submits opt out requests for me cleaning up my information not only helps reduce the amount of spam I get but it protects me from hackers who could use this information to help them access my social media accounts bank accounts and other sensitive information Ora also does so much more to protect me and my family from online threats that I can’t see it’s really easy to set up so I don’t have to download several different apps to get things like antivirus VPN password management parental controls identity theft Insurance and more I get everything at one affordable price you may already have one of these tools already but not having Aura is like locking the front door and leaving the back door wide open Aura is always on doing the hard work to protect me and my family so I can focus on other tasks with peace of mind I value my privacy and I value yours you can go to to ora.com kevinr to start your two-e free trial please see the link in the description you still can’t leave him open that struck me because Klay Thompson last year was fourth in the NBA and three-pointers made shooting nearly 39% from three and what was a down year for him percentage wise in terms of his three-point shooting but still a guy that made nearly 220 catch and shoot three-pointers last year and that is going to be his largest role on this team providing that spacing for Luca and Kyrie to be to knock down shots and really give this team a boost from the three-point line and really be able to stretch defenses clay talking about the knowledge and experience that he’s gained with the 13 years that he spent with the Golden State Warriors and bringing that Championship DNA and experience to this team who now has to marry the idea of what they were able to accomplish in terms of making that finals run but also now being able to be better as a team and being cohesive toward making another run toward the NBA Finals Klay Thompson knows a little bit about that and the player that overcome the adversity of the torn ACL and the Achilles to still come back to Be an Effective player yes there will be questions about him at 34 years old in terms of the defense that he can still play but as you heard there he is confident in his physical abilities to still be a really good Defender and still provide the necessary defense that the Mavericks are going to be looking for and if you were looking for the Mavericks to move on from Tim hardyway Jr which they were able to do if they were going to replace him with someone you got a much better verion and better Defender even at this stage of his career and Klay Thompson at 34 years old so he coming along with Naji Marshall and Quinton Grimes I believe the Mavericks had a really successful offseason based on what they utilized in terms of their resources to make it happen Klay Thompson of course coming over as part of that historic six team NBA trade the first that we’ve ever seen in NBA history Naji Marshall signing that three-year $27 million deal coming over from the New Orleans Pelicans he carved out a nice role for himself when he was with New Orleans and now has a bigger and larger opportunity as a part of this rotation with the Mavericks to be that much more of an impact player and for Quinton Grimes coming over from what was New York and Detroit a fresh start for him as well to be able to put an impact and imprint on this team a guy that goes 65 can knock down the three can defend and will be a part of this significant rotation for the Dallas Mavericks and what you’ve got with Luca and Kyrie obviously with PJ Washington’s hopeful improvement from the three-point line another summer for guys like Daniel gaffer and PJ Washington to be able to help this team get ready to get ready for next year there’s exciting times for The Mavericks and Klay Thompson for me he’s gonna be a hell of a quote while he’s here in Dallas if you listen and watch the 43 minute presser that they had Klay Thompson is a guy who is very sure of himself very comfortable with where he is in his career and most importantly knows what he has to do to be able to maximize what his body has left to give as far as the rest of his NBA career is concerned but most importantly how he is able to impact every single member on this team and the relationship that he already had with Kyrie Irving coming into this situation now growing and developing one with Luca donic Klay Thompson saying that Luca texted him as he became a member of the Mavericks all of this will find itself to be a huge huge Improvement for this team going forward and for a team that obviously is getting ready for summer league om Max Prosper going to be the focal point of the summer league team this summer you’re looking for everyone as niik Harris had talked about to make that 10 to 15% Improvement in what they want to see from them going into training camp later on this year and if you cannot only get that from the current players that you have but you also add that 10 to 15% better from the three guys that you have when terms of a refreshed and motivated Klay Thompson a Naji Marshall looking to prove himself in a bigger role and a Quinton Grimes looking to continue his development and growth here you feel like the Mavericks have put themselves in that position to remain a top four team in the West even with how difficult things have become as far as the top four of the West is concerned we talked about with Oklahoma City adding Alice Caruso and Isaiah hartenstein as well to be able to improve their team there are a lot of teams that are still there when you look at the Minnesota Timberwolves the Denver Nuggets obviously the Oklahoma City Thunder as we talked about but for the Mavericks not only do they get better as a team in terms of their shooting but they also continue to bring in guys in terms of Naji Marshall Quinton Grimes 24 25 26 years of age all fitting in that timeline that we’ve talked about before when you’ve got a Luca dones when you’ve got a PJ Washington when you’ve got a Daniel Gafford and others in their mid-20s and a team that is still growing and developing together now you bring in somewhat of Klay Thompson’s experience and accomplishment to go along side Luca dones and Kyrie Irving the sky is the limit for this team and you can tell for whether it be Nico Harrison whether it be Michael Finley whether it be the entire front office they feel like they have now put together the kind of roster that not only has staying power for the next couple of years but really for several years going forward still having assets with the 2025 and 2031 first round picks to be able to make moves if they need to they’ve got a core in a nucleus that has now put themselves in experienced positions in making an NBA Finals run and now bringing along someone of Klay Thompson’s experience to be able to help them navigate that that much further and one of the things that excited me most about hearing Klay Thompson was not just the fact that he wanted to be here in Dallas but he really studied and felt like this was the best opportunity from a basketball standpoint and Michael Finley talking about it in his opening comments as well that the Dallas Mavericks are now becoming a destination play for players who want to play really because they’re doing the kind of winning that would attract the kinds of Klay Thompson like players even at their stage of their careers to come and play here and that to me is a huge standing point for this team when you look at what they’ve accomplished now over the last few years even with making the Western Conference Finals a couple years ago yes they did not finish the wi that they wanted to last year going 38 and 44 5 and 11 with Luca do and Kyrie Irving in the lineup together but rebounding to come back to win 50 games finish top five in the west and then eventually make the NBA finals this team this organization and the entire organizational structure is heading in the right direction and made it so attractive enough that Klay Thompson wanted to come here and be a part of it leaving the only team that he’s ever known to be able to have a fresh new start as we continue to get to know Clay here in Dallas one of the things that you’ll discover from him is that he is his own man marching to the beat of his own drum and has made decisions in the best interest of him even to the disappointment of his father Michael he even addressed that during the press conference on Tuesday about the idea that yes his father was disappointed that he didn’t choose his hometown Los Angeles Lakers team but eventually understood the decision that clay made and felt like that was the best one for him to be able to experience something new clay mentioning that he grew up of course in Los Angeles all of his life and he was ready to go somewhere else to make an imprint on a new franchise but most importantly for him start a new chapter that will allow him the opportunity to be able to fulfill the kind of player that he wants to be and most importantly for him be able to go out on his own terms players at this stage of this career sometimes get pushed out by organizations and even though the Golden State Warriors tried to make things work between him and Clay the relationship was just not recoverable to that point to where even when him and Joe Lea played golf together it just didn’t necessarily work out for them to be able to mend that relationship but now the Mavericks have built an organization built on family culture and most importantly a locker room that will assimilate yet another personality in Klay Thompson who will fit in very nicely to what the Maverick have built here in Dallas and when you look at Kyrie Irving for example yes all the things that he went through some of course self-inflicted with him especially in Brooklyn he found an atmosphere in a team that accepted him for who he was as a person and he was able to allow him to thrive to have a 255 in season with the Dallas Mavericks Klay Thompson looking to do the same being accepted for the player that he is what he’s still capable of but also being able to grow as a person and as a player on and off the floor in a new environment the Mavericks have built such a culture that will allow him to flourish here and he believes that he has found the right opportunity to be able to do that so an exciting day for the Dallas Mavericks based off of what they were able to accomplish yes Los Derrick Jones Jr to the Los Angeles Clippers obviously moving on from Josh Green in order to facilitate being able to get Klay Thompson here to Dallas but all in all based off of what they had at the end of the season and where they are now for me this is a better team than what the Mavericks had when they ended the season last year and of course losing to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals no matter how you may feel about Clay Thompson and what he is as a player and what he may not be physically as a player anymore he is an upgrading what they were able to acquire in him and moving on from Tim Hardway Jr and most importantly I think a motivated and a focused clay of player who in my mind is defiantly trying to rewrite The Narrative of what people have considered him to be over the last couple of years which is kind of wild to think about because a player who has been as efficient as he’s been from the three-point line and yes I know the last time that we saw Clay on the court was an 0 and 10 performance of course in the playin situation I don’t think you’ll see that if at all here in Dallas a player that yes understands his limitations and what he is but most importantly now understands what he can be and remaking himself in his career it’s like any kind of good professional wrestler as you get older into your career you’ve got to reinvent ways to make yourself relevant and continue to be effective and entertain the crowd Klay Thompson looking to do the same as a player here in the NBA Reinventing himself he may not necessarily have all the fast balls anymore but what he does have is the knowledge and the experience that he’s over 13 years and knows how to move within the offense yes there may be some changes that the Mavericks make offensively in terms of Klay Thompson who’s a movement shooter but most importantly is an effective catch and shoot guy and the amount of open looks that he’s going to get playing alongside Luca dones and Kyrie Irving are going to be a plenty but clay understands that at this stage in his career he has a golden opportunity to win a fifth NBA championship and put himself in some rarified err in terms of winning that fifth title and the fact that he chose the Mavericks over the Lakers who reportedly offered him more money and yes the opportunity to play alongside LeBron James Anthony Davis he looked at Luca donic and Kyrie Irving and the relationship that he had with Kyrie and what he’s been able to build here in Dallas and looked at this situation as the best one and you can tell from the excitement from his comments obviously from Naji Marshall and Quinton Gres both of them looking for opportunities to have impacts on this team the Mavericks have done well for themselves this off season and for Naji Marshall as we mentioned a former undrafted player a guy who’s carved out a nice role for himself in this league as a tough hard-nosed Defender an enforcer type if you will a guy that’s going to be able to knock down shots from the three-point line and will be able to do so on much more volume with the opportunities that he’ll have here and for Quinton Grimes a young player at 24 years of age who now gets to come home to Texas and really be able to grow and develop his game that much more you could tell he’s already in the gym already getting work in he is excited about his opportunity here and really gives the Mavericks hopefully a better version and what they had in Josh Green who yes brought a lot of energy Off the Bench was improving as a shooter Quinton gr is a little bit more natural of a shooter and a much better Defender with the size and the length that he has had the 64 6 foot5 frame that he possesses to really be able to help this team so if you’re excited about the Mavs and what they were able to do this past season you should be that much more excited about what they’re capable of going forward for the rest of this summer into the training camp into this upcoming season uh as well so look as you can tell I’m in Nick spot he graciously allowed me to be able to record my show in his studio and it’s kind of surreal I feel like I’m kind of like in Disneyland because you see all the Maverick stuff all behind me and all everything around here man it’s amazing to be actually being here in this uh in his studio so if you don’t don’t freak out when you’re watching the podcast or you’re listening it’s thinking what are you talking about yeah I was actually in Nick Studio doing my thing for the the inside the mass podcast but shout out to Klay Thompson na Marshall and Quinton Grimes the newest members of the Dallas Mavericks they are excited to be here and it was a fantastic day for them to be able to introduce themselves to not only this team but also the media members as well and we will have much more coverage of course on this team throughout the course of the summer when it comes to not only those three but any other moves the Mavericks continue to make as well for the Mavericks to be able to move forward for the rest the season but again Klay Thompson Quinton Grimes najin Marshall the newest members of the Dallas Mavericks I had a chance to tell you about it right here in the locked on Maverick Studio I would bring Nick on but you know I’m gonna give him a chance to be able to rest inside of his own house and uh we’ll be able to talk to him at some point down the road but that’ll do it for this episode of inside the masan thank you so much for joining me here on the show make sure you download And subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcast for free give it a fivar rating write a review for it while you’re there and if you’re watching on my YouTube channel make sure you subscribe to the channel you can follow me on Twitter Kevin gray Sports as well this has been inside the Mavs presented by aura

#dallasmavericks #klaythompson #lukadoncic #kyrieirving

On this episode of ‘Inside The Mavs’ Mavericks Pre/Post Host Kevin Gray breaks down Klay Thompson’s first words as a Maverick as he, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes officially joined Dallas during their introductory press conference. You hear from Klay as I ask him how he defines himself at this stage of his career and what it means for Dallas going forward and so much more!

Today’s podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495?i=1000661702972

Support the show: This episode is brought to you by Aura. Aura: Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor at https://aura.com/kevingray to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold.

Subscribe to @InsideTheMavs on YouTube for more Mavericks content and subscribe to Grant’s channel @GrantAfseth on YouTube for more Mavericks coverage as well!

Be sure to like and comment on the video and subscribe to KG’s channel and follow him on Twitter @KevinGraySports

Download and subscribe to the ‘Inside The Mavs’ Podcast, the official Mavericks podcast of 97.1 The Eagle wherever you get podcasts free, give it a five-star rating and write a review for the podcast.

Inside The Mavs Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lH97deoTre1memqcpISRe?si=16ed964f523e4b17