Klay Thompson: Mavs Preseason Debut Was Most Nervous I've Been Since 2015 NBA Finals
October 11, 2024
Klay Thompson felt some nerves before his first preseason contest as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
The five-time All-Star made his preseason debut for Dallas on Thursday night, scoring 10 points in 18 minutes during the Mavericks 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz.
It was the first time in his career that he wasn't donning a Golden State Warriors uniform and Thompson admitted that he felt more "nervous" than at any point since the 2015 NBA Finals.
"I haven't been that nervous, I don't think, since the 2015 Finals Game 1," Thompson said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "It felt so good just to go out there and play and work those jitters out. It was a new experience, and it's a natural feeling when you've been somewhere so long and to be somewhere new in a new environment. To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing."
He continued by saying that he is looking forward to the opportunity to have a change of scenery.
"I'm just excited to experience a new chapter," Thompson said, per MacMahon. "It's going to be special. I just know it."
Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 77 games for the Warriors in 2023-24. That was his 11th healthy season and 13th overall season with the franchise, but now he joins a Dallas team that can use his scoring touch.
The Mavericks went 50-32 in 2023-24 and reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010-11. The team would ultimately fall to the Boston Celtics in five games and was overmatched by a Celtics team that had more talent.
Dallas has two bona fide stars in Luke Dončić and Kyrie Irving, but adding a piece like Thompson takes some pressure off that duo and also makes the team more difficult to contend against offensively. Thompson also brings strong defensive play as well, so he filters in as a nice piece for future playoff runs.
While he has officially worn the Mavericks uniform in a game setting, he still has yet to make his regular-season debut for the franchise. That will come on Oct. 24 when Dallas hosts the San Antonio Spurs.