Klay Thompson is preparing for his first season with the Mavericks by immersing himself in the team’s history and culture, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoop Journal. That experience continued Saturday at the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic, where Thompson participated alongside franchise legends such as Nowitzki, Steve Nash and J.J. Barea.
“It’s a great opportunity to be a part of this and kind of get myself ingratiated into everything,” Thompson said. “I grew up watching Dirk and Steve, so I have great respect for those guys. I just wanted to get a feel for the city, and it’s fun to be out here. Tennis is a great sport. I’m just excited to play today and hopefully hit some good shots.”
At age 34, Thompson is beginning a new phase of his career after agreeing to a free agent deal with Dallas this summer and being acquired in a complex six-team trade. He won four titles with the Warriors and is counting on continuing that success with the Mavericks after their run to the NBA Finals last season.
According to Afseth, Thompson’s efforts to bond with his new teammates included a boat trip to Catalina Island.
“We had a great crossing; the water was beautiful that day, the sun was out, and it was awesome,” Thompson said. “We did a lot of fun things, whether it was diving off the boat, riding jet skis, or just swimming to shore. It was such a beautiful day, and I think those moments as teammates are the ones you cherish for life. Now it’s go time, so we don’t have as much leisurely time to do that, but I’ll cherish that memory forever. That’s the beauty of being a veteran—trying to show the younger guys another side of life that we don’t get to experience as much once the season starts. So that was really, really fun.”
“Go time” includes the start of training camp in a couple weeks, leading into a season where the Mavericks are expected to once again be title contenders. Thompson brings another element to the team as one of the top three-point shooters in NBA history, and he figures to get plenty of open looks playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Even though Thompson’s game has declined somewhat due to age and a pair of serious injuries, he remains a prolific outside shooter that opposing defenses will have to account for. He averaged 17.9 PPG in 77 games for the Warriors last season while connecting at 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.
To learn more about the Mavericks franchise, Thompson watched videos of the 2011 championship team that surprised the Heat in the Finals. He marveled at the chemistry that group displayed and hopes to emulate it this season.
“I’m excited; it’s a whole new chapter of my career that has the potential to be really special,” he said. “The team was so close last year—three wins away from a championship—so I know we have the ingredients for success. We just have to stay together and build week by week. I know we can do something special, and that’s why I’m here early, just to get a feel for the city and the lay of the land. And I’m having fun while doing it.”