{"id":125501,"date":"2024-11-13T21:57:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125501"},"modified":"2024-11-13T21:57:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:57:41","slug":"klay-thompson-wanted-a-low-key-warriors-homecoming-but-warm-embrace-could-help-heal-wounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125501","title":{"rendered":"Klay Thompson wanted a low-key Warriors homecoming, but warm embrace could help heal wounds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"JyZHl24VVa8twrMw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/klay-thompson-JyZHl24VVa8twrMw\/\">Klay Thompson<\/a> didn\u2019t want any of the pomp and circumstance.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/anthonyVslater\/status\/1856494176659222823\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>warm welcome from 400 or so Warriors employees<\/span><\/a><span> who met him at the Dallas Mavericks\u2019 team bus Tuesday and cheered for him as he walked toward the visitors\u2019 locker room inside this familiar Chase Center. The sailor caps that were inspired by his boating passion and worn by everyone, from Warriors owner Joe Lacob to the rest of the sellout crowd of 18,064 that made sure his incredible legacy was honored. The Stephen Curry pregame speech that was scrapped, as Thompson shared, when the Splash Brothers exchanged text messages the night before and decided to pull it from the script.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>According to league sources, Thompson\u2019s message to his old team heading into his night of celebration was that less was more. But the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"88\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/warriors\/\">Warriors<\/a>, who were determined to pay homage to the massive part he played in their dynastic run in first-class fashion, pulled out all the stops anyway. This reunion game, one in which the Warriors went to such great lengths to honor the 13 years of memories between them, was bound to be uncomfortably ironic.<\/p>\n<p>Here you had Golden State officials trying so hard to show proper respect to his storied past, only to be met with a lukewarm response that served as a reminder that the perceived disrespect regarding his future was the primary cause of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5613541\/2024\/07\/03\/klay-thompson-dallas-mavericks-lakers-free-agency\/\"><span>bitter basketball divorce<\/span><\/a><span>. Unless Lacob found a way to put the two of them in a time machine and travel back to two summers ago, then committed to keeping the Warriors\u2019 celebrated trio together by giving Thompson the same four-year, $100 million deal that he gave to Draymond Green, then these wounds were bound to stay open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Or so it seemed.<\/p>\n<p>Curry\u2019s late flurry ruined Thompson\u2019s plans for a revenge game. The Warriors won 120-117 after Curry buried the Mavs in video game form during those wildly entertaining final minutes. Still, it was quite clear that healing had occurred between the two sides. And by the time Thompson took the postgame podium, having hit six 3s en route to 22 points but surely lamenting his missed 3 that rimmed out with 89 seconds left, the tone that he had set behind the scenes coming into this emotional affair had changed for the better.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5918110\/2024\/11\/12\/klay-thompson-warriors-reunion-mavericks\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/11\/13010523\/klay-thompson-stephen-curry-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Curry, Warriors ruin Klay Thompson&#8217;s Bay Area return with 120-117 win<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a really cool experience,\u201d he said of the evening that also included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VF64EddfaF4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>a video tribute<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cI appreciate the fans very much. The captain\u2019s hat ended up being a great touch, since I\u2019m such a passionate boater. I saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. That was a warm-hearted feeling. So it was really cool to see fans with gratitude towards myself, and it\u2019s something I won\u2019t take for granted. It\u2019s very, very awesome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a cool moment to feel the energy from the fans, and especially, you know, all the chatter that I heard \u2014 it was all positive. (That) just means a lot to myself, because I really enjoyed my time here and \u2026 left it all out on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The pregame greeting from the employees, specifically, was a special touch that some in Thompson\u2019s circle had hoped \u2014 like the Curry speech \u2014 would be scratched from the program. Yet as Thompson shared afterward, the gesture had the desired effect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was really cool,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m very grateful for the employees to give me that kind of love. Totally unexpected, and definitely put a smile on my face. It\u2019s something I\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No matter the context, Thompson\u2019s willingness to share warm feelings about the Warriors organization signaled a thawing of the iciness in this relationship that is only right considering all the history between them. Beyond the four titles, five All-Star appearances and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5910332\/2024\/11\/11\/klay-thompson-bay-area-return-tribute\/\"><span>countless good times in between<\/span><\/a><span>, there was a special bond between Klay and the Bay that can\u2019t be properly preserved if the friction remains. And while the disagreement surely remains about how his contract situation was handled, with Thompson believing he should have received equal treatment to Green and the Warriors pointing to his devastating stretch of injuries as justification for their more measured approach, the affectionate postgame scene came with signs of genuine reconciliation that should only get better from here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Thompson hugged Warriors coach Steve Kerr first, and was then embraced by Curry. Next came longtime Warriors trainer Rick Celebrini, then <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"BxjGOsZJwlBdDODt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/andrew-wiggins-BxjGOsZJwlBdDODt\/\">Andrew Wiggins<\/a>, Trayce-Jackson Davis, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"DWiWYSvhS0V9PHzX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/moses-moody-DWiWYSvhS0V9PHzX\/\">Moses Moody<\/a>, various staff members, Green, fellow Bahamian and his replacement, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"AD3NeTjxgBd5qvz0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/buddy-hield-AD3NeTjxgBd5qvz0\/\">Buddy Hield<\/a>, Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"nvluPOjR8pF1bTxB\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/gary-payton-ii-nvluPOjR8pF1bTxB\/\">Gary Payton II<\/a>, and assistant coach Bruce Fraser. It\u2019s unclear if Thompson connected with Lacob, but it reaches a point in this post-Warriors saga where that sort of subplot doesn\u2019t truly matter anymore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Warriors did an incredible job of honoring him,\u201d said <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"87\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/mavericks\/\">Mavericks<\/a> coach Jason Kidd, a Bay Area native who attended Cal and knows the passion of these local fans well.<\/p>\n<p>Warriors mission accomplished, in other words, with a win to boot as they improved to an unexpected 9-2 mark.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who knows Thompson well knows he likely didn\u2019t sleep much after this one. Curry\u2019s 37-point performance overshadowed Thompson\u2019s dynamic night, with No. 30 celebrating the win as if he were still in a gold-medal march with Team USA rather than a mid-November NBA affair. Thompson left the floor with a sense of appreciation, tossing his headband into the stands on his way through the tunnel before being greeted by a long line of admirers.<\/p>\n<p>Andre Iguodala, his fellow Warriors legend and current National Basketball Players Association executive director, visited the Mavericks locker room before the game and returned for a postgame chat as well. Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Kirk Lacob waited to see him too, as did former Warriors big man and current liaison between basketball and business, Zaza Pachulia.<\/p>\n<p>For Thompson\u2019s part, his mind inevitably turned to the next basketball challenge ahead. His Mavericks are just 5-6 now, with this <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"gMyReUOesjAikT7S\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/luka-doncic-gMyReUOesjAikT7S\/\">Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>\u2013<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD\/\">Kyrie Irving<\/a>-Thompson trio still finding their way amid a parity-filled Western Conference that is up for grabs. As the nostalgia faded, with all those Warriors years irrelevant to the task at hand, he looked ahead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had like four games this year that could have gone either way,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cThis one really stung, being up seven (points) with four minutes left. We\u2019ll watch the film and get better. But I am really proud of how this team keeps fighting. We\u2019re still getting to know each other, and I keep telling the guys, it\u2019s better to go through this stuff early in the season versus Game 60. So I know we have a chance to be great. We\u2019ve just got to stay the course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He would know, of course. There\u2019s a past basketball life where his transcendent play sparked an annual charge to the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/\">NBA<\/a>\u2019s mountaintop. The Warriors cherish those days, and want to ensure they\u2019re not forgotten. And if Tuesday night was any indication, Thompson does too.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/4djIqC6oRycqhkLq6ugh07?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Photo: Ezra Shaw \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5919247\/2024\/11\/13\/klay-thompson-warriors-steph-curry-homecoming\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 Klay Thompson didn\u2019t want any of the pomp and circumstance. The warm welcome from 400 or so Warriors employees who met him at the Dallas Mavericks\u2019 team &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=125501\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=125501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125501\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=125501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=125501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=125501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}