Lakers fans weren’t the only ones upset over Klay Thompson choosing the Mavericks over the Purple and Gold as a free agent. Even Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, was undoubtedly “disappointed” when he learned of his son’s decision.
On the latest episode of “NBA Radio” on SiriusXM, Mychal said he wasn’t “in a congratulatory mood” when he heard the news of his son linking up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
“I’m really disappointed,” Mychal said. “I was hopeful, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker. And it was tight. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. I was hoping and praying he’d conclude his career with the Lakers.”
When asked about his involvement in swaying his son to join the team he won two championships with, Mychal disclosed he “tried to sell” the former Warriors star on the idea of returning home to Los Angeles. As part of his proposal, Mychal reminded Klay that he grew up a Lakers fan and idolized Kobe Bryant.
“The franchise has been so wonderful to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Laker devotee. He grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant like most players his age, most people his age. So, I just thought it seemed like it would be the perfect fit for him to eventually come back home. We always talked about him playing for the Lakers, because, if he wasn’t a Warrior, where else was he going to play? When the opportunity came, he chose the Mavericks.”
Despite Mychal’s best efforts, Klay chose the Mavericks for two particular reasons, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. First, he sought to take advantage of friendly state income taxes in Texas. Second, the veteran sharpshooter was enamored by witnessing the Mavericks en route to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Klay signed a three-year, $50 million contract to join the Mavericks as a free agent. He will don non-Warriors colors for the first time in his career commencing with the 2024-25 season.
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