“It’s tough. It’s something I never imagined would be a reality, but you want him to be happy,” Stephen Curry said about Klay Thompson when his fellow Splash Brother quit the Bay Area. From every clutch moment to lifting each title, they created colorful memories in the Bay Area for 13 illustrious seasons. However, after a dip in his form and a difference in the Golden State Warriors and his vision, Klay can now call himself a co-star alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Thompson’s decision sent shockwaves across the entire league, including the Warriors locker room. It was hard to picture a Golden State core without one of its very own. Draymond Green, some days ago, revealed that he was avoiding even the thought of the same! “I haven’t allowed myself to really process it. I don’t want to. I feel like I’ll face it when I have to face it,” he admitted. But it’s not just the Warriors organization and locker room that feels the void. While the tributes and messages can’t stop flowing in, even Curry’s younger brother, Seth, joined the bandwagon.

In an appearance on Dubs Talk, he was asked, “You watched, for all these years, your brother and Klay Thompson in the same backcourt. They were basically basketball brothers almost. Is it a little weird seeing what’s going on with Klay going to Dallas?” His response (not unlike what all Dubs fans must’ve felt)? “It don’t feel right seeing Klay in that Mavericks uniform, wearing 31,” the Hornets guard said.

For 13 years, Klay Thompson sported the No.11 on his jersey, one that the Golden State Warriors are set to retire. However, in the humorous words of Thompson, “Kyrie [Irving] took my number [in Dallas].” Jokes apart, he explained why he chose the No.31, paying tribute to Reggie Miller, who wore it for the Pacers. “I watched so much footage of Reggie coming off screens as a teenager. Especially his ability to make game-winning shots. That is the most inspiring thing to see as a shooter because he had no fear of whether he made or missed the shot. He was going to live or die by it.”

“That’s how I modeled my game, just being able to space the floor, and you can’t leave me open like you [couldn’t] leave Reggie open,” Thompson added. Coming back to Seth Curry and his feelings about not seeing his brother and Klay together anymore. While sad, he addressed the indelible mark Thompson left in the Warriors. “But he had a great run in Golden State. He was solidified in what he did there, winning those championships. That ‘Splash Brothers’ backcourt is the greatest of all time, and they did a lot of special things.”

Within his 13-year tenure, the Warriors transformed from a mid-level team to one of the greatest dynasties of the modern era. The Splash Brothers not only revolutionized the Warriors’ offense but also the NBA fraternity’s perception towards 3s, making their team an unstoppable force. So, no matter where Klay Thompson goes, his name and image will forever be associated with the Warriors.

Whether it was his massive 37-point record quarter or his fastest 60-point game in 29 minutes, the crazy number of things Klay pulled off in the Bay Area will be fresh in many minds for a long time. “That’s a feat that I put money on will probably never be touched ever again in the history of basketball,” was Steph’s response to Thompson’s scoring massacre, going 21-33 from the field alongside just 11 dribbles in the same Indiana Pacers game in 2016.

It was a decade full of triumph, difficulties, and growth for every member of the Warriors core. The trio of Curry, Green, and Thompson grew and evolved together. A synergy like that hardly comes by, and they are sure to look back on their time and wouldn’t be able to help themselves from smiling because of the history they created together. “The brotherhood that we built will not change at all,” Draymond assured. For now, though, it’s onwards and (hopefully) upwards for Thompson.

Klay Thompson wanting a “fresh start” will help the Mavs’ gameplay in at least one way

It was a bitter-sweet moment for Klay Thompson when he decided to move on. But this move was also deemed necessary for his career. Last season, the Splash Brother was fighting his demons and could not reach his expected performance levels. It led to several harsh yet necessary decisions, including Steve Kerr benching him for Brandin Podziemski. Even though he admitted that he was okay with the change in role, it was surely getting tough for Thompson to enjoy basketball like he always did.

“Coming here is just such a fresh start. Feeling just wanted again, like I bring great value, it just gets me excited to go out there and even work out after this press conference and get shots up. There was times last year where it was tough, where it wasn’t as joyful as it was in the past,” Thompson said during his introductory press conference.

It’s clear that the five-time NBA All-Star still has a lot to offer to the game, and Jared Dudley, an assistant Mavs coach, made it public that he intends to get Klay Thompson involved in “creative ways.” One of them will definitely be how the transformed Dallas side will now line up and handle its floor spacing. Doncic and Irving severely lacked additional help in the playoffs this past season, and it was a glaring hole in their game that eventually handed the Jays their first title.

It will be a new outlook for Klay, having to adjust to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s dynamic. However, the Slovenian’s ability to find an open shooter and Thompson’s off-the-ball movement only need to find their sync, and rest assured, they’re going to be deadlier than ever! It will take some realigning and sacrifice to get the new system working, but the main part of the story here is that the sharpshooter is keen on making things work and returning to winning ways.

Do you think the Dallas Mavericks will win a title with Klay Thompson leading their shooting front? Let us know in the comments below.