Steph Curry pens a touching message to Klay Thompson: “We won’t finish the journey together; what we did will never be done again”Thompson agreed to a deal in Dallas that was almost the same money as what Golden State offered to him.
With Klay Thompson officially leaving the Bay Area team, Warriors superstar guard Steph Curry has broken his silence on the departure of his Splash Brother.
The two-time MVP paid tribute to Klay on social media, posting photos of him and his now ex-backcourt partner on his Instagram story while penning an emotional message thanking Thompson for their impressive run in Golden State.
“Gonna miss you @klaythompson,” Curry wrote on his Instagram. “Even though we won’t finish the journey together, what we did will never be done again. Couldn’t have imagined a better run with you and @money23green. Changed the whole Bay Area. Changed the way the game is played. Killa’ Klay at the center of it all. Thank you for everything bro. Go enjoy playing basketball and doing what you do.”
After heavy drama, Thompson agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Free Agency period. Klay was among the big names when free agency opened. After listening to offers, he chose to play with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Dallas and L.A. were among the two notable teams in play to land Klay after the first day of free agency. But as Woj said, Thompson picked Dallas because he felt the Mavericks presented the best opportunity to win a fifth ring.
Klay’s three-year $50 million deal with the Mavs is said to be lower than what the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to offer. It’s also lower—in terms of annual salary than the two-year $48 million extension the Warriors reportedly offered him. But it wasn’t about the money.
As former No.1 pick Kenyon Martin said during a recent Gil’s Arena podcast episode, Klay leaving the Bay was never about the money. It was all about the disrespect he felt during the contract negotiations with the Dubs.
“You paid Draymond. You gave Draymond that sh*t—I’m the guy. I’m a bucket. I’ve averaged more points than him. I’ve done this, and we don’t do none of this without me. So, I fought back through all this to get back here to help us win again, and this is the motherf*****g thanks I get?” said Martin.
Klay, Steph, and Dray won 420 regular-season games, 98 playoff games, 23 playoff series, and four NBA championships together. Steph received a $215 million deal in 2021, while Green received a $100 million extension last year. Meanwhile, Thompson battled back from two career-threatening injuries to receive an offer that wasn’t even half of what Draymond got. For sure, it wasn’t about the money it was about the resepct.
“They don’t owe Klay. They paid Klay for that” – Shannon Sharpe argues the Warriors did not wrong Thompson in their contract talks
Shane has been writing online sports articles since 2013. He specialises in telling old-school stories and introducing readers to never-before-heard anecdotes from the previous NBA eras. If he isn’t writing basketball stories on BN, he’s just chillin’ at home with his wife and three Golden Retrievers named Ranger, Horry, and Fisher.
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