Klay Thompson departed the Warriors in free agency and sent a farewell message to the Bay Area and Golden State supporters after agreeing to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks this week.
With 17.1 million Instagram followers, Thompson posted a photo of himself on Friday sporting his new No. 11 jersey. Thompson, a Washington State graduate, was chosen by Golden State Warriors with the eleventh overall choice in the 2011 NBA Draft.
As per AP News, Klay Thompson wrote, “Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I feel about yall.” “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day 1. I really just wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships as possible to the region. The best part was not the rings though, it was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime.”
With the Warriors, the 34-year-old Thompson shared four titles with Draymond Green and Splash Brother Stephen Curry. The seasoned guard had to recuperate from surgery on his left knee and right Achilles for nearly two and a half years, missing the whole 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. He eventually returned in January 2022, describing the recuperation process as one of the most difficult and taxing experiences of his life.
Bad season for Golden State Warriors
With Thompson, Stephen Curry had wanted to continue playing with one of the top backcourts in the NBA. After the Warriors won the 2022 NBA title, they lost 118-94 to Sacramento in the play-in tournament, and Thompson had a disappointing 0-for-10 shooting effort. As a result, the team did not advance to the playoffs. After the season, he declared his intention to pursue a fifth championship before ending his career.
Thompson had stated earlier this year that he would "love to be a Warrior for life," indicating his desire to play his whole career for Golden State.
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