Steve Kerr gets ’emotional’ talking about Klay Thompson leaving Golden State

THe ‘The Splash Brothers era came to an end for the Golden State Warriors after the other half, Klay Thompsondecided to move on and signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks after 13 seasons in the Bay Area.

During his employment at Golden State, Klay, alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr, won four NBA championships and arguably became one of the best teams in the history of the league and the last dynasty.

Over there the hope was that Thompson would stay with Golden Statebut in the end that didn’t happen, and for Team USA’s first practice Steve Kerr had this to say about Klay’s departure from the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

I want to thank Klay Thompson for 13 incredible years, 10 of which I was there for. We’re going to miss Klay. We wish him the best. Things rarely go your way, where you have to plan it and execute it and everyone comes together. We hoped that would happen. It didn’t. We wish Klay the best, but we love him and we’re going to miss him.

Steve Kerr

The other half of the Splash Brothers

Thompson, 34, remains one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averaged 17.9 points and shot 38.7 percent from three-point range last season, showing his lasting impact despite some time off the bench.

His ability to recover from serious injuries, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament and Achilles tendon, and still perform at a high level, highlights his resilience and dedication.

The Warriors reportedly offered Thompson a two-year, $48 million contract last season, significantly less than the contracts of Draymond Green and Jordan Poole.

Thompson turned down the offer, leading to a season in which the Warriors became increasingly reliant on rookie shooting guard Brandin Podziemski.