Just how long can one hold a grudge? At the peak of the Warriors dynasty, they clashed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight Finals. The Splash Brothers with Durant against the blossoming tandem of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving often was the key battle. Now, years extracted from their intense rivalry, Irving and Klay Thompson have crossed paths in Dallas, posing a direct threat to the Warriors, the latter’s former side. Does this harbor any resentment within the Bay seeing the former rivals reunite?

In the past, it happened with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. When the sharpshooter joined LeBron James in Miami, the Big Ticket held resentment within him for decades. But in that era, the concept of rivals being friends was unheard of to a certain extent. But Klay and Irving have been mates for a long time.

“I think when you know the personal relationship off the floor already, it kind of hits a little different for us,” Draymond Green said of their teaming up.

Ironically, those ground-shaking wars in the Finals paved the way for mutual respect. As much as Thompson regrets switching off from KAI in the iconic 2016 Game 7, their determination and drive to win are well-received by each other. Furthermore, they joined hands together in playing for Team USA. “Unfortunately for the world, they like us to hate each other, which is very rarely the case. Those guys have always had a personal relationship,” Draymond Green said about the same.

Thompson was more than glad to bring his skills to the Maverick, who is fresh off an NBA Finals appearance. In terms of recruitment, Irving believes the process was “easy”. A season and a half ago, he left a turbulent stint in Brooklyn and has since felt the joyous Dallas fanbase. With the former Warrior looking for a new start, he pitched the idea of the Mavericks due to their hospitality and the franchise’s devotion to their players.

Now, fielding the expectations that come with his arrival, Klay Thompson hopes he can be the final jigsaw in the puzzle that helps the Mavs achieve their dreams.

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic believe in Klay Thompson

The last time Thompson was on the NBA floor, he probably had the worst performance of his career. In the play-in game, the 34-year-old failed to score a single point against the Sacramento Kings. On his exit, he swallowed the Warriors crowd one final time. That’s when the Bay felt his imminent exit. However, no matter how appalling last season was in Dallas, the air is nourishing.

Bonding hasn’t been a problem at all. In fact, Kyrie Irving feels the Mavericks have been missing a sharpshooting threat like Thompson. With him, the expectation is to mend their shortcomings. “And I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now,” he said on media day.

Notably, the Mavericks lacked an essential third-option scorer in their Finals against the Shamrocks. PJ Washington played with remarkable grit and passion. However, he is renowned for being a threat near the rim and getting vital stops. The Mavs also shot just 29% from three in that entire series, an area where the Celtics managed to wound them deeply. With Thompson, though, he is ready to convert those tempting looks by leveraging Doncic and Irving’s magnetism.

“It will be fun to play with him in those sets because he draws so much attention and he gets so many open looks from the perimeter, so I’ll be there to knock them down,” the All-Star guard claims. They are still a long way from attaining cohesion. Luckily, Thompson is approaching the preseason with unmatched vigor with the assumption that it’s “the most important one I’ve had”.

In particular, Luka Doncic’s operation in the pick and roll impressed Klay. Thompson has never seen anyone do it better than the Slovenian superstars. As part of the motion-heavy system in the Warriors camp, Klay Thompson is prolific in generating points off screens, averaging 6.2 points per game. In those regards, Doncic has loved the latest addition the front office managed to lure in.

Once he gets a hand of having a reliable shooting marksman to defer to, the Mavericks aim to achieve the glory they did in 2011. Do you think they can make it to the NBA Finals once again? Let us know your views in the comments below.