Klay Thompson’s Father ‘Disappointed’ He Joined Mavericks Over Lakers
Lakers fans weren’t the only ones upset when Klay Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Lakers as a free agent. Even his father, Mychal Thompson, admitted to being “disappointed” by his son’s decision.
On a recent episode of “NBA Radio” on SiriusXM, Mychal expressed his feelings about Klay teaming up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
“I’m really disappointed,” Mychal said. “I was hoping he would be a Laker. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. I was praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
When asked about his efforts to persuade Klay to join the Lakers, Mychal revealed he had tried to convince his son to return to Los Angeles. He reminded Klay of his childhood as a Lakers fan and his admiration for Kobe Bryant.
“The franchise has been great to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Lakers fan, idolizing Kobe Bryant. It seemed like the perfect fit for him to come back home. We always talked about him playing for the Lakers. When the chance came, he chose the Mavericks.”
Despite Mychal’s efforts, Klay opted for the Mavericks for two reasons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. First, he wanted to benefit from Texas’s favorable state income taxes. Second, he was impressed by the Mavericks’ journey to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Klay signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks, marking the first time he will not wear Warriors colors in his career, starting with the 2024-25 season.
