Although it has been repeated countless times that the NBA is a business, there are movements that inevitably leave a noticeable human footprint. Klay Thompson’s return to San Francisco Bay last morning is one of them. The 34-year-old guard, star reinforcement of the Dallas Mavericks this summer, was received with applause by all the employees of his previous franchise and applauded by the fans of a packed Chase Center. The party was round with the victory of the Golden State Warriors by 120-117 at the start of the NBA Cup.
After breaking down after a lifetime in the franchise and experiencing a traumatic separation due to a financial disagreement, Thompson felt the warmth of his family in his first meeting as a visitor on the stage where he became one of the best shooters in history. With 22 points and a series of 6 of 12 in triples in 34 minutes of play, the guard had details more typical of his best days, although it was his perimeter brother, Stephen Curry, who finished off the show on the court.
The star point guard culminated his performance of 37 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists (14-27 in field goals and 5-12 in triples) with his characteristic good night celebration, sending his rival to sleep. With a series of 12 consecutive points in the final three minutes, he settled the score for the locals and single-handedly overcame a six-point deficit on the scoreboard. Curry addressed the crowd and proudly showed off the Golden State inscription on his jersey, yelling at the television cameras: “You should stay here!”
After breaking the hard core of the group formed by him, Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors have started the year strong, with a balance of nine wins and two losses that places them on par with the best in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder. “At this moment you get all the anguish, it’s pure emotion,” Curry detailed after his triple to dictate the sentence with 27.1 seconds left. A foul at the beginning of the match caused Thompson to score the first points of the match 15 seconds into the game, from the personal line.
“It has been a beautiful experience, and the captain’s cap has been a nice detail,” commented the honoree, citing the accessory that all the fans wore on their heads to refer to their great passion for the ocean and their boat trips in the bay. In Dallas, far from the sea, they have switched to bike rides. “Seeing the gratitude of the fans has been great, and it’s something I will never take for granted. I also want to thank the organization for the gesture of the workers, it made me smile and was totally unexpected,” added the former Warriors player. In San Francisco, where he played 13 seasons, Thompson won four titles and was named an All Star five times before two serious injuries disrupted his career and mental health, leading him to even consider retirement.
Recovered in all facets, and satisfied with his new start in Dallas, the shooting guard is averaging 13.8 points and 3.7 assists with 35.4% accuracy in three-point shots so far this season, with the Mavs out of positions playoffs and a balance of 5-6 for now. Luka Doncic, author of 31 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, was happy for the tribute deserved to his teammate and lamented Curry’s unstoppable success, which was reminiscent of his spectacular finish against France in the final of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. “We should have defended him better, but he is Steph Curry, and sometimes there is nothing to do,” said the Slovenian star.
The first day of the NBA Cup, with a group stage of only four games, left other headlines such as the defeat of the Boston Celtics against the Atlanta Hawks without their star Trae Young by 116-117. Jaylen Brown missed a shot to win at the buzzer and Onyeka Okogwu was the hero with a score with 6.1 seconds left for the visitors. The premiere of the competition coincided with the return of Joel Embiid, star of the Philadelphia 76ers, to the court. Lacking rhythm, the Cameroonian center was left with 13 points in the 99-111 defeat against the New York Knicks, led by OG Anunoby’s 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 21 points and 13 rebounds.
