The Golden State Warriors announced this week that they will retire Klay Thompson’s No. 11 whenever his career is over. Thompson’s Warriors tenure came to an end when the team agreed to sign-and-trade him to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team trade.
The Warriors’ full statement:
We can’t overstate Klay Thompson’s incredible and legendary contributions with the Warriors during his 13 years with the team, highlighted by four NBA championships, six trips to the NBA Finals, five NBA All-Star Game appearances and several NBA records, including the most points ever scored in a quarter in NBA history (37) and the most 3-point field goals in a game (14). The amount of joy and happiness that Klay provided Warriors fans, Bay Area natives and Dub Nation supporters all around the world has been immense and cannot be minimized. His penchant for delivering in pressuriezed situations on the biggest stage, including many Game 6 heroics, has helped define a career. Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center, where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty — himself included.
We thank Klay for his contributions and wish him the best as another chapter in his journey is written.
On Tuesday, Thompson’s long-time backcourt partner Steph Curry posted a farewell message on Instagram, saying he “couldn’t have imagined a better run” with Thompson and teammate Draymond Green.
Stephen Curry/Instagram
“Gonna miss you @KlayThompson. 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. Splash Bros 4 life my guy.”
Thompson, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, is one of the best players in franchise history, but the relationship between himself and the team started to sour last season.
The Warriors reportedly offered him a two-year, $48 million deal last summer, which was much smaller than the contracts they gave Jordan Poole (four years, $128 million) and Green (four years, $100 million) in recent years. He was also briefly benched during the middle of the season, which was the first time he had not started a game since he was a rookie.
This offseason, the two sides had “close to no communication” according to The Athletic. While the Warriors publicly said the right things about bringing him back, Thompson’s side felt that “the Warriors’ interest in a reunion had been disingenuous” and he was “determined to find a new home elsewhere.”
Thompson will now join a Mavericks team coming off a trip to the NBA Finals. Though no longer the overall player he used to be, he remains an elite 3-point threat and should thrive off the attention that Luka Doncic commands.
