Golden State Warriors fans might need to see Klay Thompson don a Dallas Mavericks jersey on the hardwood before they fully accept him formally being gone from the squad.
The veteran shooting guard was an integral part of the four championships the Dubs won in their dynastic run in the 2010s as a three-point and defensive specialist. However, his decline over the past couple of years has turned him into a huge problem for the Warriors.
The situation forced the Dubs to move on from the shooting guard, and seeing him move to the Dallas Mavericks is a weird time for everyone involved. While the Golden State front office found a replacement in Buddy Hield, it doesn’t take away from the awkwardness of the entire thing.
However, his departure doesn’t equate to things being immediately strange between the two. One of the Warriors’ young players shared an awesome interaction he shared with the Warriors legend.
Brandin Podziemski reveals Klay Thompson called him after leaving the Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are making strides in preparing for life after Stephen Curry even if they’re chasing rings with him. Brandin Podziemski is one of the squad’s young players who showed plenty of potential last season.
He revealed that the former Warrior reached out to him after multiple sources confirmed his departure from the squad.
Per Basketball Forever’s Phil Stead:
“Getting a call from him [Thompson] a couple days ago, and him telling me I’ll always have a brother in him for life is pretty cool,” Podziemski said.
It’s nice for Podziemski to hear such words of support from a player of Klay’s status. While he hasn’t been his best recently, he averaged a solid 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG on 43.2% FG and 38.7% 3FG for the Dubs last season.
On the other hand, Podziemski had a great start to his Golden State Warriors career. The young guard out of Illinois and Santa Clara finished his rookie campaign with 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 74 games.
The first meeting between the Warriors and the Mavericks will be interesting. However, it’s good to know that the relationship between the Warriors’ old and new guard are still cordial.
