Klay Thompson fought off nerves for a record-setting Mavericks debut — but knows that was just a small step on the way to something great
“Mavs blue looks good on me,” Klay Thompson said with a wry smile toward the end of his courtside interview with TNT’s Allie LaForce after his Dallas Mavericks debut had gone final. “I’m having a great time.”
Of course he was having fun. Thompson had just hit 4-of-5 second-half 3-point attempts en route to 22 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one trip into the team record books as the Mavs earned a 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It was the first game of his 12-plus-year NBA career in anything other than a Golden State Warriors uniform, and he admitted to more nerves and anxiety before tipoff than he’s felt in a long time.
“There were a lot of nerves, a lot of anxiousness for a few minutes until you see one go through,” Thompson said. “Then it feels great. Setting a record is always a great feeling, and it’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
His six 3-pointers in the Mavericks’ 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs are more than any newcomer in his first game with the team. It makes sense, of course — the Mavs have never had a 3-point shooter on the roster as prolific in the art as Thompson has been throughout the first 12-plus years of his career.
If that record-setting debut teased anything, it might have teased that Thompson is the key to unlocking the level of success the Mavs have been dreaming about reclaiming since that magical run in 2011. If Dallas, as constructed during the 2024 playoff run, hit the team’s collective talent ceiling with the appearance in the NBA Finals, Thompson may be the missing piece to bringing home a second championship.
At least that’s where every fan’s mind will go following Thompson’s 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals against new rivals. But Thursday was just one of 82, and there’s no reason to get ahead of oneself — just listen to head coach Jason Kidd.
“Klay’s being patient — trying to figure out his spots,” Kidd said in his postgame comments. “Our job this early in the season is to hopefully get his feet settled, and you could see his feet get settled and him get comfortable.”
Dereck Lively II, who is in the process of blossoming into a Dallas Mavericks basketball revelation of his own, took that sentiment a step further.
“You see a couple shots go in. You see him get comfortable in the AAC,” Lively said. “Seeing that happen in the first game — it’s going to be a long season for the league.”
The Mavericks have fired a warning shot in the air. This Thompson guy is going to be trouble. He may have declined the opportunity to give the haters a wink and a kiss in his postgame remarks, but the point remains.
Rumors of Thompson’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. He just took the floor with one of the best pure scorers and distributors this game has ever seen, who commands so much defensive attention, that if Game 1 of 82 was any evidence, Thompson is going to get some of the best looks he’s gotten in his career, for the next three years. On one drive-and-kick from Luka Dončić in the third quarter against San Antonio, Thompson was left so wide open that he had to gather his shooting rhythm with a single crab dribble on his way up for the shot. It’s a far cry from curling off screens with wide eyes looking to get shots of as quickly as possible with defenders in your face.
“It was great to be out there with Luka,” Thompson said. “What an incredible talent. It doesn’t make any sense, according to what we’re taught growing up about being the best basketball player. He plays at his own speed. He manipulates the game as great as I’ve ever seen anyone do it, and it’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks. Hopefully we can elevate each other’s games and our squad.”
At age 34 entering this season, Thompson won’t fool anyone for a 25-year-old version of himself. “How much is left in the tank,” was the default worry in the immediate aftermath of the move to acquire him. But it became clear at some point during his debut with the Mavs, that Thompson still has so much left to give to the game.
How lucky are we then, that he gets to do it in a shade of blue that really brings out that winning smile.
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