Steph wishes the best for Klay and justwants him to be happy:
I haven’t seen him in person (since his decision), so there hasn’t been the official send-off that our history and our experience deserves. I’ll be on this (Olympics journey with Team USA) for the next six weeks, but I hope that before he’s over in Dallas that there’s a time when we can just sit down and chop it up and reminisce on all the good times. I definitely want to leave on a great note. There’s no bitterness. There’s no ill will or anything. I just want him to be happy and have a good time playing basketball like he deserves. That’s why right now, still, like I know it’s real and I know we’re moving on, but there are still more steps to take.
(The phone call) was more so just me making sure that he knew (how I felt). I didn’t want him carrying any weight of (him thinking I believed) he was making a bad decision or a wrong decision, or whatever the case was, because it was his decision
Steph thought, outside of the years, the 2-yr $48 mil offer last year was a fair offer to Klay :
It is a business, and they’re supposed to try to position us to be successful with all the things that (go into it). It’s not just a three-man team….I wasn’t part of those conversations. I do know about the extension last fall (when Thompson’s agent, Greg Lawrence of the Wasserman Media Group, and the Warriors had discussions about a two-year, $48 million deal) and thinking that that was a fair offer that signified what Klay meant — outside of the length of the contract, which I know was a big deal (to Thompson).
I wish it would have gone differently, in the sense of whatever Klay needed (from the Warriors) to not feel disrespected. I can’t answer that, because that’s a Klay thing to talk about. I wish that’s how it would have gone down. But I also know that because he needed a fresh start, things were kind of looked at a little differently. And that was kind of the throughline of this whole last season
Steph on Klay asking him to not use his influence:
Steph: I think that’s why Klay was so adamant that I not get involved, because whatever outcome he wanted, he wanted to make sure it was a kind of a pure process. And at the end of the day, we all have to make decisions that are in the best interest of yourself. I’ll do that at times when it’s what’s right for me.
Amick: And you said that you still did use your voice on his situation, so what was your message to the team?
Steph: We want Klay back. I’m not gonna tell them what number it is (on the contract). I’m not gonna tell them (anything beyond that). Again, part of the way we operate is that there’s always conversation. When anything changes, I just want to know what’s up, to know where everybody stands. It’s not like I’m telling everybody how to think or act, because we all get paid to do our separate jobs…(He’s) the first one of us three to go.
Steph's Favoirte Klay Memory: Jan 9, 2022 aka Klay Day (Klay's return from injury vs Cavs):
(On the call with Thompson), I was talking about his (Jan. 9, 2022) game when he came back from his (Achilles) injury against Cleveland two years ago (at Chase Center), and the reception that the crowd gave him when he walked on the court for pregame shooting and I was already out there getting shots up wearing my throwback Klay Thompson sleeve jersey. It’s him walking on the court, the crowd going crazy.
But the way that the crowd reacted to him tells you everything about his relationship with the Bay Area. He was shooting shots pregame and they were clapping like it was in the middle of the fourth quarter every time he made a shot. And I’m trying to keep a straight face, but I just became a fan in that moment. We all can talk about all the amazing games he’s had, or Game 6 Klay, all that type of stuff. But that was my favorite (memory) just because, in a very hard time, it reminded everybody how important he was to the whole franchise and this whole journey.
by NokCha_
15 Comments
Steph a real one
Curry is honestly just the best.
sound like they don’t communicate often
Klay Day was a cultural reset, I screamed when he did that dunk LOL.
Also it was obvious that he’d want 3 years so that his contract lines up with Steph & Dray. Not sure why the FO refused to give him that.
It was always the years, never the amount, that were the problem. Set aside the fact that Wiggs and Dray both have 3 years left (2 yrs + player options) on their contracts, making giving Klay just the 2 years and not a 3rd year to line up with theirs not make much sense from a rationalization on their end perspective, Klay – *especially* within the context of what we know now about the iciness of the negotiations – almost certainly knew this would be his last contract so it makes all the sense in the world that why just two years was seemingly such a hard line.
You can say whatever you want about Klay’s last two years on rosters that were poorly built to adequately support the core as they get older and how that impacted all of their play, but there’s no way anyone can say with a straight face that Klay only has two years left in him. As Steph has said a number of times now in these interviews, Klay deserves (and is more than capable) to enjoy playing basketball for however long he wants. It’s sad he wasn’t given that autonomy with us, especially [when he *was* willing to accept a smaller role](https://x.com/thedunkcentral/status/1757114335485153648?s=46) in order to do so, but I’m hopeful and happy he’s getting the opportunity to reclaim that in Dallas.
Klay will come back before he retires. 🥹
Thats why you my goat
Dang man this is depressing. Is it not possible for him to come back to the Dubs in the future?
i love curry so much. honestly all this talk about klay feeling disrespected has me feeling a tinge of bitterness, like come on dude how much more did you need? the warriors are known to be one of the most generous orgs and the whole team has done nothing but beg for you to come back. it seems like he’s heavily projecting his own struggles on the court and not really being fair with that.
Man. DJ was right, we should have just signed Luka so we could keep Klay.
I love Klay, and who knows why he made his decision..but it reminds me of when I changed high school my senior year. (I know this isn’t comparable, but hear me out). I left all my closest friends because I just felt I wasn’t getting what I needed at my previous school for a few reasons.
However, now when I look back. I barely remember the new school as much, and if I could make the decision again. I probably would have stayed. I missed out on those memories for memories that weren’t as deep. Obviously, this is completely different, but I made an emotional decision, and I kind of regretted it. I feel like Klay made an emotional decision here, and Im sure he’s gonna be fine and do awesome things in Dallas, but makes me wonder how he will look back at it in 5 years. The fans won’t have as much grace when he goes Klank, he wont have the support and love he does here. Sure he will probably do great there, but idk man. I feel like he did a grass is greener approach and idk if its gonna work out. Not that I hope it doesnt but we will see.
Wow, this is as revealing as Curry ever gets in an interview. His usual, politically correct interviews are pretty bland.
I’m sad that Klay will have very limited boating access in Dallas. No more sailing to work 😕
Damn Klay was salty. Can’t believe Steph and him haven’t already done this. Steve issuing a public thank you to Klay “if he’s listening” sounds like Kerr hadn’t talked to him either…Why am I emotionally invested in this. I’m still not ok how are you guys doing ?