On this episode of 'Inside The Mavs' Mavericks Pre/Post Host Kevin Gray breaks down the official trade of Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and how he will fit with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Plus Kevin's discusses what makes Thompson so competitive and compelling as a member of the Mavs & more!
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Be sure to subscribe to Kevin's YouTube channel @KevinGraySports and follow him on Twitter @KevinGraySports as well!
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Inside The Mavs Podcast:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Play. I have a question hasnothing to do with on the floor.
I've always said you're one of themost competitive guys I've seen in this era.
Tell me where does that come from? And it seems like in year
twelve you're still ramping up that competitiveness. You seem like you're going to another
level. Well, I appreciate that, Smitty. I think a custom watching
y'all play in the Growing Up anineties baby and watching the nineties and two
(00:22):
thousands, there are so many competitivethe greatest ever played this game with the
biggest competitors. I mean being theshooting guard I am. I idolized Kobe
Bryant and he was never one tomake friends out on the floor. He
just wanted to win it all costs. And my style resembles out of Reggie
Miller. I call myself the modernday Reggie, and I mean Reggie gotten
so many scraps, he got underso many people's skin. So I really
(00:46):
love those two guys at the twoguard spot, and they left it all
out there, man, And that'swhy I want to do. When I
look back at my careers, say, man, I gave it everything I
had, and I competed at thehighest level I could. Clay Thompson is
a officially a member of the DallasMavericks. Why he chose Dallas at this
point in his career and why it'sa perfect fit for him and the Mavericks.
(01:10):
This is Inside the Mask presented byMint Mobile. Welcome to Inside the
(01:44):
Mask presented by Mint Mobile. I'myour host, Kevin Gray, Mavericks Pan
post game host of the Dallas MavericksRadio Network. Appreciate you joining me here
for the latest episode of Inside theMAVs. Make sure download and subscribe to
the podcast wherever you get your podcastfor free, give it a five star
rating or rune a review for itwhile you're there. And if you're watching
this on my YouTube channel at KevinGray Sports, makes you like and comment
(02:06):
on the video and subscribe to KevinGray Sports here on YouTube and you can
follow me on Twitter at Kevin GraySports as well. Clay Thompson is officially
a Dallas Maverick. In what wasa historic sixth team NBA trade, the
Dallas Mavericks land Klay Thompson and asecond round pick. As he now at
(02:27):
age thirty four, is a memberof the Dallas Mavericks. Klay Thompson posting
on his Instagram that he is readyto have some fun in Dallas and for
him, it is a perfect fitfor the Mavericks and for Clay at this
stage of his career at thirty fouryears old, a four time NBA champion
who has seen and had an illustriouscareer thus far after playing thirteen seasons with
(02:53):
the Golden State Warriors, now opensup the next chapter of his career in
Dallas, where he will wear thenumber th thirty one, much like how
Nick Van Exel did and also JasonTerry. Jason Terry of course, helping
the Dallas Mavericks win an NBA championshipback in twenty eleven, Klay Thompson will
look to do the same here inDallas. Clay, of course, one
(03:14):
of the greatest three point shooters inthe history of the league. Last year,
was fourth in the NBA in threepointers made, shot nearly thirty nine
percent from three, and made twohundred and nineteen catch and shoot threes last
year. Arguably the greatest catch andshoot three point artists that the game has
ever seen, and a perfect matchfor Dallas, who needs that kind of
(03:37):
three point shooting going into this upcomingseason. The looks that Clay will get
from Luka, Doncis and Kyrie Irvingwill be open and plentiful for him in
his time in Dallas. But forClay, this was about the idea that
he can help a team on thecusp of trying to win an NBA championship.
(03:58):
Nico Harrison lauding the champion experience ofKlay Thompson in his statement, with
Klay Thompson coming over to the DallasMavericks and all the things that Clay will
bring based on not just experience,but also what he still has left in
the tank. And I know Mavericksfans will have questions about what exactly he
has left in the tank, Butwhat we have learned is that this is
(04:18):
a man that is motivated to provedoubters and naysayers wrong at this stage of
his life and career, forsaking theidea of playing with his hometown Los Angeles
Lakers team after his relationship with theGolden State Warriors was irretrievable, he decided
that a clean, fresh start wouldbe the right one for him. And
(04:39):
honestly, that shouldn't surprise you givenwhat we learned about Thompson throughout the course
of his career, a man whomarches to the beat of his own drum
and wants to continue to build alegacy that is built on his name and
his name alone, not his famousfather Michael Thompson, who course was an
NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, part of the broadcast team of the
(05:01):
Lakers. To this day, Thompsonhas stood on his own two feet,
and when he's able to make hisown decisions, has made decisions that are
in the best interest of him,even when they weren't popular or seem like
the right ones based on other factorsthat you would think would allow him to
make certain decisions that would make senseto you and I, But for him,
he now has a chance to continueto put another historic chapter into his
(05:27):
Hall of Fame career. That seasonplay alongside Luka, Doncis and Kyrie Irving,
and I want to spend some timeon Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson here
for just a second, not justbecause they share a shoe company, but
for Klay Thompson, he watched KyrieIrving be able to come to Dallas,
to be able to learn and experiencethe piece that Kyrie Irving has been able
(05:48):
to now have being a member ofthis team, working with Jason Kidd,
working with Nico Harrison, and theinfrastructure that the Mavericks have put in place
for Kyrie to be able to succeedhere. That family, that culture,
that atmosphere attractive to Thompson not justthe basketball fit on the floor, but
what for Thompson is able to seekat this stage of his life off the
(06:11):
floor as well. A man wholoves to be out on his boat and
be able to be to himself andexperience what nature has to offer. Well,
yeah, Texas doesn't necessarily have itsbeaches here in Dallas. What it
does have is an opportunity for himto find peace and serenity off the floor,
much like how Kyrie Irving has beenable to do so. And yes,
while Kyrie Irving's situation was different inBrooklyn and some of the trouble that
(06:35):
he had was brought on by himself, Thompson is looking for a start that
is anew in a place where hecan find at that kind of respite here
in Dallas. Which is funny becausewe're watching the Mavericks become the organization that
allows others to be able to getaway from the quote unquote glamour and the
noise, despite the fact that Dallasin and of itself is a big time
(06:58):
city and market. Yes, theBoys are the number one show in town.
Yes, these Texas Rangers are theWorld Series, the raiding World Series
champions, and its Mavericks have putthemselves in position to be in a championship
window for years to come. Eventhe Dallas Stars making noise over the playoffs
over the last couple of years aswell. But it's for Clay getting out
of the fish bowl that was theGolden State warst and forsaking another one with
(07:24):
the Los Angeles Lakers a season nowhere in Dallas. Some interesting reporting of
course from Ramona Shellburn, which we'llget to here in just a moment,
because Clay looked at what he sawin terms of the Mavericks run to the
NBA Finals, but also what hehad and a chance to help him continue
to grow in his life on andoff the floor that made him attractive here.
(07:45):
But before we get there, let'shear from today's sponsor of our video
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you today's video partner in Mint Mobile. Klay Thompson officially a member of the
(09:18):
Dallas Mavericks and some interesting reporting comingfrom Ramona Shelburn who detailed how the Warriors
and Klay Thompson's relationship ultimately came toan end. I want you to hear
and listen to this excerpt from herlatest piece detailing Klay Thompson came to be
with the Mavericks. Quote. Thompsonloved watching the Dallas Mavericks run throughout the
(09:39):
playoffs this year. He was intriguedby the young Oklahoma City Thunder. He
had always wanted to play for theLakers in the uniform of his childhood idle
Kobe Bryant. But in the finalweek before free agency started, Thompson met
with Steve kerr And in Los Angelesand told him all of this, sources
told Ramona Shelburn. He called GreenDraymond gre and Stephen Curry and told them
(10:01):
he wanted a fresh start and askedhim not to use their organizational clouts to
interfere with the negotiations with the teamthat he called lakeup and general manager Mike
Dunley Virginia and asked him to helphim get to a team of his choosing
via sign and trade if necessary.Everyone wished him well and they would be
amically separated. Dallas was his topchoice. He loved the way the Mavericks
(10:28):
played and believed an ideal fit alongsideLuca donc to Kyrie Irving. Sources told
Shelburn he came to a dinner meetingwith the Mavericks front office having studied tape
and already projecting out how he couldhelp them. In quote that gives you
an idea of how motivated Klay Thompsonis to be a part of his team,
(10:50):
he came prepared to the meeting withthe Dallas Mavericks wanting to let them
know how he can help them,and that he was pitching himself to join
this team. And if that doesn'tgive you any indication on how much this
player who is defiantly trying to turnaround the narrative of what he has been
perceived to be over the last coupleof years, despite what the numbers say
(11:13):
and what he's doing on the floor, and despite how we may feel about
the last time that we saw himon the floor going oh of ten in
the playing game, it's more aboutKlay Thompson and what he has been,
but more importantly, what he's tryingto define himself to become at this stage
of his career. Listen to KlayThompson here speaking about the competitive drive that
(11:35):
he has and where it came fromas he continues his career. Take a
listen. Play. I have aquestion that has nothing to do with on
the floor. I've always said you'reone of the most competitive guys I've seen
in this era. Tell me wheredoes that come from? And it seems
like in year twelve you're still rampingup that competitiveness. You seem like you're
going to another level. Well,I appreciate that, Smitty. I think
(11:56):
it cust from watching y'all play inthe Growing Up a nineties baby and watching
the nineties and two thousands. Thereare so many competitor The greatest ever played
this game with the biggest competitors,I mean, being the shooting guard I
am. I idolized Kobe Bryant andhe was never wanted to make friends out
on the floor. He just wantedto win it all costs. And my
style resembles out of Reggie Miller.I call myself the modern day Reggie,
(12:20):
and I mean Reggie gotten so manyscraps, he got under so many people's
skins. So I really love thosetwo guys at the two guard spot,
and they left it all out there, man. And that's why I want
to do. When I look backat my careers, say, Matt,
I gave it everything I had,and I competed at the highest level I
could. Clay is a competitor.You've seen him come back from an Achilles'
(12:41):
injury from a torn acl to helpthe Golden State Warriors win a championship back
in twenty twenty two. Mavericks fansknow all too well Klay Thompson what he
was able to do. Of course, the Mavericks losing to the Warriors in
the Western Conference Finals a couple ofyears ago, as Clay went on to
win his fourth NBA championship. Butby listening to him, you get an
(13:03):
idea of how competitive he is.And when you bring that kind of veteran
leadership and experience to this team,who can use not only the experience that
they gain in making NBA Finals run, but then putting that alongside Luka Donca,
Kyrie Irving. Yes, we willdissect the basketball part of this when
it comes to Klay Thompson's ability toshoot the basketball from the three point line
(13:26):
as a movement shooter, whether itbe off of screens, pen downs.
All the x's and o's and everythingelse we will dissect in the coming days
and weeks when Klay Thompson in termsof his basketball IQ and his fit with
the Mavericks. But the most importantthing about Thompson choosing the Dallas Mavericks is
that a player of his accomplishment,a player that has seen everything and one
(13:50):
at the highest levels, decided thatthe Mavericks were the best place for him
to play at this point of hislife and his career. And that is
a test not only to what thisorganization has built, but to Nico Harrison
and what he has been able tocontinue to grow and develop here in a
guy that has deep connections and relationshipsaround the league has been able to not
(14:13):
only leverage those in creating the bondsthat he has around the league and in
the basketball world, but how he'sbeen able to turn himself into a pretty
damn good general manager itself, andthe way he's put together this roster,
there is still work to do withone final roster spot left, whether that
be a Spencer Dinwiddie or a DennisSmith junior that we reportedly heard who could
be filling out the roster as well. But for Klay Thompson, he knew
(14:39):
the vision that he had and mostimportantly, the Mavericks have a vision for
what Klay Thompson could be on thisteam. Again speaking to the idea when
it comes to Kyrie Irving, forexample, the Mavericks had a vision for
what they believed Irving could still beand how he could influence his team positively,
especially when it came to Luka Doncisand turned out to be absolutely right.
(15:01):
The acquisitions of PJ. Washington andDaniel Gafford have proven to be invaluable
moves for this team to remake theiridentity as they continue to grow together as
a team. For Nico Harrison,Jason kidd and this entire coaching staff in
front office, that is the mostimportant part about the players that they've acquired.
They fit into the vision of whatthe Mavericks can still become even with
(15:24):
now having experienced making it to theNBA Finals, and that's a team that
it's still there to grow that muchmore with arguably the best player in the
world in Luca Doncis. That isthe potential that Klay Thompson saw and why
he decided to choose the Dallas Mavericks. I'm so excited to hear from Clay
(15:45):
as the days go on about specificallywhat this team means to him at this
stage of his life in his career, while he feels like this is the
best opportunity for win a championship,because that is another huge aspect of Klay
Thompson choosing the Mavericks. The Mavericksright now are in a position in the
West to have an opportunity to wina championship. Even when you look at
(16:10):
the Minnesota Timberwells, the Oklahoma CityThunder, the Denver Nuggets, whomever you
want to think about in terms ofthe top three or four teams in the
West, the Mavericks remain a legitimatethreat to get out of the West once
again because they now have the playersin place and the experience to go along
with it to be able to makea legitimate run back to the NBA finals,
(16:30):
not that it will be easy,of course, Lucadoncis has to find
a way to get himself healthy afterhis season officially ended after losing in the
semi finals with Team Slovenia to Greece, where unfortunately he will not be playing
in this year's Olympics. So nowhe will have some much needed and much
deserved time off to be able toget his body right to get ready for
(16:52):
training camp later on this year,and he will be greeted not just with
of course his teammate and Kyrie Irving, with PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford
and also Derek Live of the secondComing Office, a sational rookie year,
but a four time NBA champion whowill now embark on a stage of his
career taking a look back at oneof the biggest regrets of his career by
(17:17):
looking at Kyrie Irving as a teammate. Now in the face, you said,
Kevin, what are you talking about? You remember back at twenty sixteen,
Klay Thompson switched off and found hisself seeing Stephan Curry being matched up
onto Kyrie Irving, and what aKyrie Irving do he hit one of the
greatest shots that we've ever seen inNBA history and help him deliver a championship
to Cleveland. Now, the deliciousbasketball irony is that Klay Thompson and Kyrie
(17:41):
Irving will now share the same uniformfor the first time in the NBA.
Yes, they were members of TeamUSA for the World Cup in twenty fourteen
and the Rigo Olympics in twenty sixteen, so they know what it is to
win championship gold together as member TeamUSA. Now they'll look to do it
(18:02):
as teammates in the NBA with theDallas Mavericks. But all of this culminates
in the fact that this is anofficial change and the way that the Mavericks
are perceived around the league and whatthey are viewed at in terms of potential
threats going forward for the next fewyears, and that for Mavericks fans,
for those who watch this team,cover this team, and have experienced what
(18:23):
this team has gone through to getto this point to make a finals run.
That is another massive aspect of KlayThompson choosing the Mavericks. The perception
of this team is now officially changed. No longer is it not considered a
free agent destination, but it isconsidered a place where you can go to
find peace in basketball but still remaincompetitive towards winning a championship. And there
(18:48):
is proof of concept now with thatKyrie Irving having experienced that making it to
the NBA Finals for the first timein seven years. Lukadoc is making his
first ever NBA Finals a peer afterwhat was a historic season as a scoring
champion, top three MVP vote geta five consecutive years, now as a
first team All MBA selection, allthe histrionics that go with Luca Dodges,
(19:14):
Now Klay Thompson feels like he canbe a final piece to the puzzle that
can lead the Mavericks to a championshipagain. The dissection of his basketball fit.
What he is or what he isn'tphysically at this stage at being thirty
four years old, but what hestill is is a devastating three point artist
that will have his fill of openlooks from the from downtown all season long
(19:38):
because of what Kyrie Irving and LucaDodgers will provide to them and the influence
that he's going to have on aguy like PJ. Washington, for example,
who continues to retool and remake hisown three point shot. Imagine the
influence that Klay Thompson is going tohave imparting his experience to a guy in
PJ who's going to be counted uponas a true three and D guy for
(20:00):
this team, especially with the departureof Derek Jones Junior. Klay Thompson is
perfect for what the Mavericks need himto be, and the Mavericks are the
perfect team for him at this pointin his life to continue to grow as
the kind of player and person thatThompson wants to be on and off the
floor. And if anything that we'velearned from him over the last thirteen years,
(20:22):
the competitive drive and fire that Clayis about to bring to this team
is something that may only rival thatof Luka Doncic. And yes, Clay
goes about his business a little bitdifferently, a little bit more quietly the
most, But don't confuse that quietdemeanor for a player that's not competitive or
(20:44):
aloof Klay Thompson is a guy thatcompetes. You don't get to a guy
being a guy who made thirty sevenpoints in a quarter or fourteen made threes
in a game or scored sixty pointsin a game, or the epic game
six that he had against the OklahomaCity Thunder Without having a competitive fire and
drive that pushes you to be thebest in the most clutch of situations that
(21:07):
ladies and gentlemen, that is whyKlay Thompson will be And now you get
to match that competitive fire with thewisdom that he's gained as well, and
it should be a match made inheaven for the Dallas Mavericks. I for
one, cannot wait to see whatKlay Thompson does wearing the number thirty one,
what he can do at age thirtyfour and beyond, and how he
(21:30):
continues to help this team move thatmuch closer to winning an NBA championship,
looking to do so for the firsttime since twenty eleven. They are on
the right path and trajectory are theDallas Mavericks. Klay Thompson may be the
final piece to that championship puzzle.And he decided that he wanted to be
here and made that decision all onhis own and now has a chance to
(21:56):
prove the naysayers and doubters wrong andfinantly proved that he still has what it
takes to be an NBA championship lookingfor one for the thumb, if you
will, in order to be calledchampion once again and to do so on
his own terms. Klay Thompson officiallya member of the Dallas Mavericks. He'll
(22:18):
be wearing number thirty one moving forwardfor your Mavericks. That'll do it for
this episode of Inside the MAVs Again, thank you so much for joining me
here on this episode. Makes youdownload and subscribe to the podcast wherever you
get your podcasts for free. Youhave to five star rating, write a
review for it while you're there.If you're watching some my YouTube channel makes
you liking comments on the video aswell. Subscribe to Kevin Gray Sports here
(22:41):
on YouTube and you can follow meon Twitter at Kevin Gray Sports as well.
This has been Inside the MAVs presentedby Mint Mobile
Play. I have a question hasnothing to do with on the floor.
I've always said you're one of themost competitive guys I've seen in this era.
Tell me where does that come from? And it seems like in year
twelve you're still ramping up that competitiveness. You seem like you're going to another
level. Well, I appreciate that, Smitty. I think a custom watching
y'all play in the Growing Up anineties baby and watching the nineties and two
(00:22):
thousands, there are so many competitivethe greatest ever played this game with the
biggest competitors. I mean being theshooting guard I am. I idolized Kobe
Bryant and he was never one tomake friends out on the floor. He
just wanted to win it all costs. And my style resembles out of Reggie
Miller. I call myself the modernday Reggie, and I mean Reggie gotten
so many scraps, he got underso many people's skin. So I really
(00:46):
love those two guys at the twoguard spot, and they left it all
out there, man, And that'swhy I want to do. When I
look back at my careers, say, man, I gave it everything I
had, and I competed at thehighest level I could. Clay Thompson is
a officially a member of the DallasMavericks. Why he chose Dallas at this
point in his career and why it'sa perfect fit for him and the Mavericks.
(01:10):
This is Inside the Mask presented byMint Mobile. Welcome to Inside the
(01:44):
Mask presented by Mint Mobile. I'myour host, Kevin Gray, Mavericks Pan
post game host of the Dallas MavericksRadio Network. Appreciate you joining me here
for the latest episode of Inside theMAVs. Make sure download and subscribe to
the podcast wherever you get your podcastfor free, give it a five star
rating or rune a review for itwhile you're there. And if you're watching
this on my YouTube channel at KevinGray Sports, makes you like and comment
(02:06):
on the video and subscribe to KevinGray Sports here on YouTube and you can
follow me on Twitter at Kevin GraySports as well. Clay Thompson is officially
a Dallas Maverick. In what wasa historic sixth team NBA trade, the
Dallas Mavericks land Klay Thompson and asecond round pick. As he now at
(02:27):
age thirty four, is a memberof the Dallas Mavericks. Klay Thompson posting
on his Instagram that he is readyto have some fun in Dallas and for
him, it is a perfect fitfor the Mavericks and for Clay at this
stage of his career at thirty fouryears old, a four time NBA champion
who has seen and had an illustriouscareer thus far after playing thirteen seasons with
(02:53):
the Golden State Warriors, now opensup the next chapter of his career in
Dallas, where he will wear thenumber th thirty one, much like how
Nick Van Exel did and also JasonTerry. Jason Terry of course, helping
the Dallas Mavericks win an NBA championshipback in twenty eleven, Klay Thompson will
look to do the same here inDallas. Clay, of course, one
(03:14):
of the greatest three point shooters inthe history of the league. Last year,
was fourth in the NBA in threepointers made, shot nearly thirty nine
percent from three, and made twohundred and nineteen catch and shoot threes last
year. Arguably the greatest catch andshoot three point artists that the game has
ever seen, and a perfect matchfor Dallas, who needs that kind of
(03:37):
three point shooting going into this upcomingseason. The looks that Clay will get
from Luka, Doncis and Kyrie Irvingwill be open and plentiful for him in
his time in Dallas. But forClay, this was about the idea that
he can help a team on thecusp of trying to win an NBA championship.
(03:58):
Nico Harrison lauding the champion experience ofKlay Thompson in his statement, with
Klay Thompson coming over to the DallasMavericks and all the things that Clay will
bring based on not just experience,but also what he still has left in
the tank. And I know Mavericksfans will have questions about what exactly he
has left in the tank, Butwhat we have learned is that this is
(04:18):
a man that is motivated to provedoubters and naysayers wrong at this stage of
his life and career, forsaking theidea of playing with his hometown Los Angeles
Lakers team after his relationship with theGolden State Warriors was irretrievable, he decided
that a clean, fresh start wouldbe the right one for him. And
(04:39):
honestly, that shouldn't surprise you givenwhat we learned about Thompson throughout the course
of his career, a man whomarches to the beat of his own drum
and wants to continue to build alegacy that is built on his name and
his name alone, not his famousfather Michael Thompson, who course was an
NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, part of the broadcast team of the
(05:01):
Lakers. To this day, Thompsonhas stood on his own two feet,
and when he's able to make hisown decisions, has made decisions that are
in the best interest of him,even when they weren't popular or seem like
the right ones based on other factorsthat you would think would allow him to
make certain decisions that would make senseto you and I, But for him,
he now has a chance to continueto put another historic chapter into his
(05:27):
Hall of Fame career. That seasonplay alongside Luka, Doncis and Kyrie Irving,
and I want to spend some timeon Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson here
for just a second, not justbecause they share a shoe company, but
for Klay Thompson, he watched KyrieIrving be able to come to Dallas,
to be able to learn and experiencethe piece that Kyrie Irving has been able
(05:48):
to now have being a member ofthis team, working with Jason Kidd,
working with Nico Harrison, and theinfrastructure that the Mavericks have put in place
for Kyrie to be able to succeedhere. That family, that culture,
that atmosphere attractive to Thompson not justthe basketball fit on the floor, but
what for Thompson is able to seekat this stage of his life off the
(06:11):
floor as well. A man wholoves to be out on his boat and
be able to be to himself andexperience what nature has to offer. Well,
yeah, Texas doesn't necessarily have itsbeaches here in Dallas. What it
does have is an opportunity for himto find peace and serenity off the floor,
much like how Kyrie Irving has beenable to do so. And yes,
while Kyrie Irving's situation was different inBrooklyn and some of the trouble that
(06:35):
he had was brought on by himself, Thompson is looking for a start that
is anew in a place where hecan find at that kind of respite here
in Dallas. Which is funny becausewe're watching the Mavericks become the organization that
allows others to be able to getaway from the quote unquote glamour and the
noise, despite the fact that Dallasin and of itself is a big time
(06:58):
city and market. Yes, theBoys are the number one show in town.
Yes, these Texas Rangers are theWorld Series, the raiding World Series
champions, and its Mavericks have putthemselves in position to be in a championship
window for years to come. Eventhe Dallas Stars making noise over the playoffs
over the last couple of years aswell. But it's for Clay getting out
of the fish bowl that was theGolden State warst and forsaking another one with
(07:24):
the Los Angeles Lakers a season nowhere in Dallas. Some interesting reporting of
course from Ramona Shellburn, which we'llget to here in just a moment,
because Clay looked at what he sawin terms of the Mavericks run to the
NBA Finals, but also what hehad and a chance to help him continue
to grow in his life on andoff the floor that made him attractive here.
(07:45):
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you today's video partner in Mint Mobile. Klay Thompson officially a member of the
(09:18):
Dallas Mavericks and some interesting reporting comingfrom Ramona Shelburn who detailed how the Warriors
and Klay Thompson's relationship ultimately came toan end. I want you to hear
and listen to this excerpt from herlatest piece detailing Klay Thompson came to be
with the Mavericks. Quote. Thompsonloved watching the Dallas Mavericks run throughout the
(09:39):
playoffs this year. He was intriguedby the young Oklahoma City Thunder. He
had always wanted to play for theLakers in the uniform of his childhood idle
Kobe Bryant. But in the finalweek before free agency started, Thompson met
with Steve kerr And in Los Angelesand told him all of this, sources
told Ramona Shelburn. He called GreenDraymond gre and Stephen Curry and told them
(10:01):
he wanted a fresh start and askedhim not to use their organizational clouts to
interfere with the negotiations with the teamthat he called lakeup and general manager Mike
Dunley Virginia and asked him to helphim get to a team of his choosing
via sign and trade if necessary.Everyone wished him well and they would be
amically separated. Dallas was his topchoice. He loved the way the Mavericks
(10:28):
played and believed an ideal fit alongsideLuca donc to Kyrie Irving. Sources told
Shelburn he came to a dinner meetingwith the Mavericks front office having studied tape
and already projecting out how he couldhelp them. In quote that gives you
an idea of how motivated Klay Thompsonis to be a part of his team,
(10:50):
he came prepared to the meeting withthe Dallas Mavericks wanting to let them
know how he can help them,and that he was pitching himself to join
this team. And if that doesn'tgive you any indication on how much this
player who is defiantly trying to turnaround the narrative of what he has been
perceived to be over the last coupleof years, despite what the numbers say
(11:13):
and what he's doing on the floor, and despite how we may feel about
the last time that we saw himon the floor going oh of ten in
the playing game, it's more aboutKlay Thompson and what he has been,
but more importantly, what he's tryingto define himself to become at this stage
of his career. Listen to KlayThompson here speaking about the competitive drive that
(11:35):
he has and where it came fromas he continues his career. Take a
listen. Play. I have aquestion that has nothing to do with on
the floor. I've always said you'reone of the most competitive guys I've seen
in this era. Tell me wheredoes that come from? And it seems
like in year twelve you're still rampingup that competitiveness. You seem like you're
going to another level. Well,I appreciate that, Smitty. I think
(11:56):
it cust from watching y'all play inthe Growing Up a nineties baby and watching
the nineties and two thousands. Thereare so many competitor The greatest ever played
this game with the biggest competitors,I mean, being the shooting guard I
am. I idolized Kobe Bryant andhe was never wanted to make friends out
on the floor. He just wantedto win it all costs. And my
style resembles out of Reggie Miller.I call myself the modern day Reggie,
(12:20):
and I mean Reggie gotten so manyscraps, he got under so many people's
skins. So I really love thosetwo guys at the two guard spot,
and they left it all out there, man. And that's why I want
to do. When I look backat my careers, say, Matt,
I gave it everything I had,and I competed at the highest level I
could. Clay is a competitor.You've seen him come back from an Achilles'
(12:41):
injury from a torn acl to helpthe Golden State Warriors win a championship back
in twenty twenty two. Mavericks fansknow all too well Klay Thompson what he
was able to do. Of course, the Mavericks losing to the Warriors in
the Western Conference Finals a couple ofyears ago, as Clay went on to
win his fourth NBA championship. Butby listening to him, you get an
(13:03):
idea of how competitive he is.And when you bring that kind of veteran
leadership and experience to this team,who can use not only the experience that
they gain in making NBA Finals run, but then putting that alongside Luka Donca,
Kyrie Irving. Yes, we willdissect the basketball part of this when
it comes to Klay Thompson's ability toshoot the basketball from the three point line
(13:26):
as a movement shooter, whether itbe off of screens, pen downs.
All the x's and o's and everythingelse we will dissect in the coming days
and weeks when Klay Thompson in termsof his basketball IQ and his fit with
the Mavericks. But the most importantthing about Thompson choosing the Dallas Mavericks is
that a player of his accomplishment,a player that has seen everything and one
(13:50):
at the highest levels, decided thatthe Mavericks were the best place for him
to play at this point of hislife and his career. And that is
a test not only to what thisorganization has built, but to Nico Harrison
and what he has been able tocontinue to grow and develop here in a
guy that has deep connections and relationshipsaround the league has been able to not
(14:13):
only leverage those in creating the bondsthat he has around the league and in
the basketball world, but how he'sbeen able to turn himself into a pretty
damn good general manager itself, andthe way he's put together this roster,
there is still work to do withone final roster spot left, whether that
be a Spencer Dinwiddie or a DennisSmith junior that we reportedly heard who could
be filling out the roster as well. But for Klay Thompson, he knew
(14:39):
the vision that he had and mostimportantly, the Mavericks have a vision for
what Klay Thompson could be on thisteam. Again speaking to the idea when
it comes to Kyrie Irving, forexample, the Mavericks had a vision for
what they believed Irving could still beand how he could influence his team positively,
especially when it came to Luka Doncisand turned out to be absolutely right.
(15:01):
The acquisitions of PJ. Washington andDaniel Gafford have proven to be invaluable
moves for this team to remake theiridentity as they continue to grow together as
a team. For Nico Harrison,Jason kidd and this entire coaching staff in
front office, that is the mostimportant part about the players that they've acquired.
They fit into the vision of whatthe Mavericks can still become even with
(15:24):
now having experienced making it to theNBA Finals, and that's a team that
it's still there to grow that muchmore with arguably the best player in the
world in Luca Doncis. That isthe potential that Klay Thompson saw and why
he decided to choose the Dallas Mavericks. I'm so excited to hear from Clay
(15:45):
as the days go on about specificallywhat this team means to him at this
stage of his life in his career, while he feels like this is the
best opportunity for win a championship,because that is another huge aspect of Klay
Thompson choosing the Mavericks. The Mavericksright now are in a position in the
West to have an opportunity to wina championship. Even when you look at
(16:10):
the Minnesota Timberwells, the Oklahoma CityThunder, the Denver Nuggets, whomever you
want to think about in terms ofthe top three or four teams in the
West, the Mavericks remain a legitimatethreat to get out of the West once
again because they now have the playersin place and the experience to go along
with it to be able to makea legitimate run back to the NBA finals,
(16:30):
not that it will be easy,of course, Lucadoncis has to find
a way to get himself healthy afterhis season officially ended after losing in the
semi finals with Team Slovenia to Greece, where unfortunately he will not be playing
in this year's Olympics. So nowhe will have some much needed and much
deserved time off to be able toget his body right to get ready for
(16:52):
training camp later on this year,and he will be greeted not just with
of course his teammate and Kyrie Irving, with PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford
and also Derek Live of the secondComing Office, a sational rookie year,
but a four time NBA champion whowill now embark on a stage of his
career taking a look back at oneof the biggest regrets of his career by
(17:17):
looking at Kyrie Irving as a teammate. Now in the face, you said,
Kevin, what are you talking about? You remember back at twenty sixteen,
Klay Thompson switched off and found hisself seeing Stephan Curry being matched up
onto Kyrie Irving, and what aKyrie Irving do he hit one of the
greatest shots that we've ever seen inNBA history and help him deliver a championship
to Cleveland. Now, the deliciousbasketball irony is that Klay Thompson and Kyrie
(17:41):
Irving will now share the same uniformfor the first time in the NBA.
Yes, they were members of TeamUSA for the World Cup in twenty fourteen
and the Rigo Olympics in twenty sixteen, so they know what it is to
win championship gold together as member TeamUSA. Now they'll look to do it
(18:02):
as teammates in the NBA with theDallas Mavericks. But all of this culminates
in the fact that this is anofficial change and the way that the Mavericks
are perceived around the league and whatthey are viewed at in terms of potential
threats going forward for the next fewyears, and that for Mavericks fans,
for those who watch this team,cover this team, and have experienced what
(18:23):
this team has gone through to getto this point to make a finals run.
That is another massive aspect of KlayThompson choosing the Mavericks. The perception
of this team is now officially changed. No longer is it not considered a
free agent destination, but it isconsidered a place where you can go to
find peace in basketball but still remaincompetitive towards winning a championship. And there
(18:48):
is proof of concept now with thatKyrie Irving having experienced that making it to
the NBA Finals for the first timein seven years. Lukadoc is making his
first ever NBA Finals a peer afterwhat was a historic season as a scoring
champion, top three MVP vote geta five consecutive years, now as a
first team All MBA selection, allthe histrionics that go with Luca Dodges,
(19:14):
Now Klay Thompson feels like he canbe a final piece to the puzzle that
can lead the Mavericks to a championshipagain. The dissection of his basketball fit.
What he is or what he isn'tphysically at this stage at being thirty
four years old, but what hestill is is a devastating three point artist
that will have his fill of openlooks from the from downtown all season long
(19:38):
because of what Kyrie Irving and LucaDodgers will provide to them and the influence
that he's going to have on aguy like PJ. Washington, for example,
who continues to retool and remake hisown three point shot. Imagine the
influence that Klay Thompson is going tohave imparting his experience to a guy in
PJ who's going to be counted uponas a true three and D guy for
(20:00):
this team, especially with the departureof Derek Jones Junior. Klay Thompson is
perfect for what the Mavericks need himto be, and the Mavericks are the
perfect team for him at this pointin his life to continue to grow as
the kind of player and person thatThompson wants to be on and off the
floor. And if anything that we'velearned from him over the last thirteen years,
(20:22):
the competitive drive and fire that Clayis about to bring to this team
is something that may only rival thatof Luka Doncic. And yes, Clay
goes about his business a little bitdifferently, a little bit more quietly the
most, But don't confuse that quietdemeanor for a player that's not competitive or
(20:44):
aloof Klay Thompson is a guy thatcompetes. You don't get to a guy
being a guy who made thirty sevenpoints in a quarter or fourteen made threes
in a game or scored sixty pointsin a game, or the epic game
six that he had against the OklahomaCity Thunder Without having a competitive fire and
drive that pushes you to be thebest in the most clutch of situations that
(21:07):
ladies and gentlemen, that is whyKlay Thompson will be And now you get
to match that competitive fire with thewisdom that he's gained as well, and
it should be a match made inheaven for the Dallas Mavericks. I for
one, cannot wait to see whatKlay Thompson does wearing the number thirty one,
what he can do at age thirtyfour and beyond, and how he
(21:30):
continues to help this team move thatmuch closer to winning an NBA championship,
looking to do so for the firsttime since twenty eleven. They are on
the right path and trajectory are theDallas Mavericks. Klay Thompson may be the
final piece to that championship puzzle.And he decided that he wanted to be
here and made that decision all onhis own and now has a chance to
(21:56):
prove the naysayers and doubters wrong andfinantly proved that he still has what it
takes to be an NBA championship lookingfor one for the thumb, if you
will, in order to be calledchampion once again and to do so on
his own terms. Klay Thompson officiallya member of the Dallas Mavericks. He'll
(22:18):
be wearing number thirty one moving forwardfor your Mavericks. That'll do it for
this episode of Inside the MAVs Again, thank you so much for joining me
here on this episode. Makes youdownload and subscribe to the podcast wherever you
get your podcasts for free. Youhave to five star rating, write a
review for it while you're there.If you're watching some my YouTube channel makes
you liking comments on the video aswell. Subscribe to Kevin Gray Sports here
(22:41):
on YouTube and you can follow meon Twitter at Kevin Gray Sports as well.
This has been Inside the MAVs presentedby Mint Mobile
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