Is Klay Thompson adjusting well to his new surroundings? Change is not an easy task, especially when 13 years of your life have majorly revolved around a single franchise and the people associated with it. However, having found a new home with the Dallas Mavericks now, Thompson is making the best use of his time. From working out alongside Kyrie Irving, days after calling him a “gracious person,” to hanging out with Dereck Lively II at a WNBA game, he is busy forming new bonds before the new NBA season. If it costs him a bit of money but allows him to do something he liked doing as a Warrior, so be it!

Earlier today, the 34-year-old power forward was captured joining Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki in the latter’s foundation’s 6 Annual Tennis Classic. This event marks the player’s second public appearance as a member of the Dallas side’s roster, with the first one being his introductory presser. As the event progressed, the sharpshooter engaged in a Q&A session to reveal how he made the most of his off-season time by taking the younger teammates to Santa Catalina Island. Describing how they encountered the perfect environment, from a good crossing to the sun not being too overbearing, there was no better moment to create new memories.

“Those days, as a teammate, you cherish for life, especially just get to know each other, and it was fun. Now, it’s go time, so we don’t have as much leisurely time to do that, but I’ll cherish that memory forever,” Klay Thompson said in the snippet posted by Abby Jones on X. “That’s what the beauty of being a veteran is, trying to show the younger guys another side of life that we, obviously, don’t get to experience much cause our time is just taken up when the season starts. So, that was really, really fun.”

Nicknamed ‘Captain Klay’, the hooper’s love for boats and sailing is well known amongst longtime fans. Amidst his family and friends’ protests over buying a $273,069 worth sea vehicle, Thompson revealed that he was gonna take the courses and familiarize himself with the concepts of sailing. Before leaving the Warriors, the athlete would often take the boat out to explore new places within the Bay Area itself, using it to get to practice, and even take his teammates like Draymond Green out for a joyride. Now, that part of his Warriors journey is being utilized to entertain Thompson’s new, younger batch of teammates!

By appearing at the tennis tournament, the new Mavs player showed his willingness to not only bond with current but also with former members of the franchise. The respect that Klay Thompson holds for Dirk Nowitzki isn’t anything newfound. Even during his tenure with GSW, the shooting guard used to hand out his praise to the German by calling him a “Splash God” for the way he changed the game.

Now, Dirk Nowitzki is reciprocating that respect by using the tennis game to give Klay Thompson “a feel for the community.” From the trip to Catalina Island to the recent charity event, everything is helping the sharpshooter separate himself from the beloved Bay Area, which an analyst believes is exactly “what the doctor ordered.”

NBA Insider believes that the shift to the Dallas Mavericks was good for Klay Thompson: “If his social media is any indication….”

The Athletic’s Sam Amick touched base on the situation about Klay Thompson leaving the Warriors. While the Bay Area franchise have been left in a somewhat precarious position, the reporter claimed that “because of everything he’d (Thompson) been through physically, and then the way the team had evolved and the environment around him had changed during that time, that he needed something fresh.” Fortunately, if his recent social media updates show anything, this fresh change is definitely doing its wonders.

“If his social media is any indication, it’s kinda just what the doctor ordered. He’s posting all kinds of stuff about, you know, ‘Best summer ever’, and training his b–t off, and you know he’s gonna have that chip on his shoulder, so I’m curious to see how he fits in,” Amick said. The Athletic reporter’s remarks come almost a week after Thompson posted a “Best Summer Ever” caption on his Instagram story, accompanied by Aaliyah’s One in a Million album booming. Later, he would return to social media to show himself doing homework, aka watching a video titled ‘2011 Dallas Mavericks Road to The NBA Finals.’

The Dallas Mavericks are a new chapter in Klay Thompson’s life, and the hooper is doing his best to make it worthwhile. Who knows, maybe the next story will feature the Splash Brother, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving all enjoying some time on the former Warriors’ player’s boat!

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.