Klay Thompson Shares Thoughts on Dallas Mavericks Media Day: ‘I’m a Hooper, so I Can Adjust Accordingly’

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Klay Thompson is really wearing a Dallas Maverick jersey. Read that again.


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At the Mavericks’ media day, the unthinkable became a reality. Luka Doncic summed up their season goal with one word: “Championship.” After a tough loss to the Boston Celtics in last year’s NBA Finals, the Mavs see Thompson, a four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors, as the key piece to get them over the top.

NBA champion Kyrie Irving, instrumental in recruiting Thompson to Dallas, expressed confidence in the team’s title chances with the sharpshooter on board. “I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now,” Irving said, highlighting Thompson’s value to the team’s championship aspirations.

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Let’s get one thing right: even at 34, and despite having endured two significant injuries, Thompson remains a dominant 3-point shooter, with a career average of 41.3% from beyond the arc. He’s a splash brother. Period.

His arrival addresses Dallas’ struggles from long range in the Finals, where they only shot 31.6%. With Thompson on the floor, Doncic noted, “When me and Kai have the ball, you basically can’t help off of Klay. Because if you leave him wide open, he’s going to make it.”

Coach Jason Kidd also praised Thompson’s elite shooting ability, “When you talk about Klay, he’s going to go down as one of the best shooters of all-time. To have him on our side makes the game offensively easier.”

What’s interesting is whether this will be a challenge or if Thompson will gel or have a learning curve within the Mavericks offensive system. Thompson acknowledged that transitioning to the Mavs’ pick-and-roll-heavy offense, a stark contrast to Golden State’s motion-based system will take some adjustment. However, he’s confident in his ability to adapt. “Just being able to play with Luka the last few days, his ability in the pick-and-roll is maybe the best I’ve ever seen,” Thompson remarked. He emphasized the importance of preseason as he adjusts to the new system but is optimistic about the process: “I’m a hooper, so I can adjust accordingly, and I look forward to doing that.”

Good luck, Klay, and welcome to the Mavericks.