The last and only time the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA championship, Klay Thompson was 21. Now, in 2024, Klay has four rings, and the Mavs have just the one, which they won in 2011. So, why did he pick Dallas for his next home? Why leave the Golden State Warriors? Well, it turns out his decision was based on a key factor – Kyrie Irving.

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd revealed this key factor in the latest episode of Dubs Talk. According to Kidd, Kyrie Irving influenced Thompson to leave the Warriors for the Mavericks. “When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that. But one of the biggest players in that was Kai,” Kidd said. “Kai being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.”

During the NBA playoffs last season, Irving raved about the reception Dallas gave him. He noted that the city accepted him for who he is as a person and not just his skills as a player. Irving was overwhelmed with emotions following reception. Kidd noted that Irving told Thompson about the welcome he received in Dallas. The could have been what motivated Thompson to join the Mavericks. He inked a 3-year $50 million contract with the Mavs, a significant decrease from his previous $189,903,600 deal. Apart from that, Thompson could somehow relate to Irving after their respective drama with former employers.

A similar situation, a new partnership, featuring Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving

“Tell them to pay me what I’m due”– the message was loud and clear from Klay Thompson when he met former NBA star Richard Jefferson in an elevator of an undisclosed location. As one of the pioneers of the Dubs dynasty, Thompson believed he had every right to demand the same deal the franchise was offering his teammate, Draymond Green. However, the offer never came, and feeling betrayed, Thompson leave the Warriors.

Kyrie Irving’s was familiar with Thompson’s situation. He experienced something similar during his time with the Brooklyn Nets. Irving was involved in a bad press situation following an alleged antisemitic post. Shortly afterwards, the Nets decided not to offer Irving an extension, leading him to request aa trade. “It was time for his (Irving’s) contract extension, the two sides didn’t meet up, business got involved, and that’s what happened. That’s how it goes,” Markieff Morris, Kyrie’s Dallas teammate said.

Thompson’s inspiration to move to the Mavs is believed to have come from the reception Irving received and, in his introductory press conference, he even touched on that issue. “Dallas was so attractive because of the young players they have, the style of play, the world-class treatment these players get from the organization,” the 34-year-old said, emphasizing on the world-class treatment part. This suggests he likely felt betrayed by the Warriors. Could we see something special from Thompson in the November 12 clash between the Warriors and the Mavericks? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.