Klay Thompson‘s return game at Chase Center won’t be remembered without the game-sealing three-pointer from his former Golden State Warriors teammate, Stephen Curry. With just 30 seconds left, Curry hit that dagger 3 in the game against the Mavs, then ran back to his side doing his iconic ‘Night Night’ celebration and yelled, “You better stay here! You better stay here!” Was this a personal message for Thompson?

Well, we don’t know that, but what we do know is that Thompson felt hurt. In the post-game press conference, he shared, “It hurts to be on the other side of one of his [Curry’s] flurries. Guy got hot at the end and made some ridiculous shots.” GSW won 120-117. Did this make Klay Thompson regret switching to the Mavericks?

That’s

what ‘Fox Sports Radio’ hosts feel. In a new episode of ‘The Odd Couple’ on FSR, Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington discussed the first clash between Klay Thompson and his former team.

Rob Parker stated, “I think Klay was probably embarrassed when he really looked at what went on last night and that he should not have left and that he let his emotions and his ego get the best of him. And that there is no reason he should be wearing a Dallas Mavericks uniform for less money, all right? Let’s just call it like it is…”

“And now, you know, people are going to be like, ‘Well, he didn’t stay with the group’. I think Klay Thompson is like the Yoko Ono of the NBA because she broke up the Beatles.” Well, we don’t know if Thompson would like to hear such a comparison.

Klay Thompson joined the Mavericks in the summer, ending his 13-season stint with the Warriors for a three-year, $50 million deal ($15.8 million per year). Meanwhile, the Warriors were reportedly prepared to offer him a two-year extension worth $48 million ($24 million per year).

However, the athlete was making $43.2 million last season and though it was clear a pay cut was coming his way, Thompson may have felt that $24 million a year was too low. He bet on himself, but so far, his strategy hasn’t paid off.

With the Warriors, Thompson would have also been looking for security, but the two-year contract would line him up with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins.

According to reports, he felt disrespected when the franchise chose not to offer him a contract extension after the Warriors’ 2022 championship victory, despite deals being awarded to Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Draymond Green also secured a $100 million contract in 2023. Feeling undervalued, Klay Thompson decided to sacrifice approximately $8 million and opted to join the Mavericks instead.

It is clear that Rob Parker believes Thompson regrets switching teams. But what’s the other side of this theory?

Klay Thompson was out there to prove something, believes talk show host

Judging by the way Klay Thompson was playing, Kelvin Washington felt there was something else on his mind. “I disagree… I think he believes he’s better than he is at this point and won’t let it go,” he said. “Like, he is a quality player who absolutely can contribute, but I think he thinks I’m a starter and I’m one of them ones.”

When Parker pointed out that the Mavericks weren’t Thompson’s team, rather it belonged to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Kelvin Washington briefly reflected on Thompson’s feelings during his injury struggles. “But those injuries really got Klay in his feelings of, I’m better than this. And he sat there and watched other guys shine, and then other guys get paid,” Washington added.

He believes the buildup of emotions became too much for the athlete when he couldn’t perform with the Warriors the way he once did, and that was probably hard for him to accept. “So he wanted to go somewhere he felt like, I can compete,” Kelvin Washington continued. “This team was just in the finals and the Mavericks, and I can prove to everybody.”

Well, during his time with the Warriors, Thompson went through devastating ACL and Achilles injuries. He also experienced hamstring and ankle issues.

And now, despite Klay Thompson’s efforts to make a statement in the Bay Area with his 22-point performance, Stephen Curry crushed his hopes by sinking a clutch three-pointer and sealing the attention with a win for the Warriors. Whether Thompson regrets his decision to leave remains unclear, but for now, he is a Maverick—a choice he fully embraced.