SAN FRANCISCO – One could easily have mistaken the Chase Center for a nautical convention. We are finally in the bay. Most of the arena's 18,000 fans donned their captain's hats Tuesday night to celebrate the return of arguably the most popular Warrior of all time Stephen Curry – four-time champion and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson.
Now a member of the visit Dallas MavericksThompson dedicated his first 11 Seasons to the Golden State and received a corresponding response from the audience in San Francisco. Before his introduction to the starting lineup, a video was played on the Jumbotron showing his various incredible accomplishments, including his NBA-record 37 quarter-pointers and 14 3-pointers.
As his name was announced, each member of the crowd took off their captain's hat – a nod to Thompson's penchant for taking his boat across the bay to practices and games – and saluted their beloved former Warrior. Thompson turned to every corner of the Chase Center as he savored the emotional moment.
“Klay is not just about the skills, it’s not just the commitment to the organization, the desire to compete,” warrior said head coach Steve Kerr before the game. “He has an aura about him that immediately connected our fans with him. That's what it takes. It's pretty rare to be able to do all of that and have such an impact. But Klay had it.”
The word “aura” perfectly summed up the mood at Chase Center upon Thompson’s return. The cheers were more lively, the energy was more powerful and the fans were more excited. Even though he was wearing a different uniform, the mere sight of Thompson and all the positive memories associated with his time in the Bay filled the sold-out arena. Every time the camera caught him, the crowd erupted in cheers.
But in the end, the night belonged to Curry and the Warriors on opening night of the Cup. Late in the fourth quarter, Curry went on a personal 12-0 run that turned a 114-108 deficit into a 118-114 lead and a thrilling 120-117 win for Golden State.
Curry finished the game with 37 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Thompson countered with 22 points, matching a season-high 6 of 12 from deep. But it wasn't enough as the Mavericks fell to 5-6 and the Warriors improved to 9-2.
Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks this offseason. He seemed destined to end his career as a Warrior, but once he got his free agency, it became clear that he and Golden State would not come to terms. In his first 10 games with Dallas, he averaged 14 points and four rebounds on 35% 3-point shooting.
“He is a real professional. “He comes to work and understands what it means to win,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said before the game. “We can talk about his ability to shoot the ball, the space and his gravity, we can let him run around. He will create space for others. So when you talk about the bigger picture, that's hard to find, and we didn't. I have that, and I think we were lucky to get him.
Thompson has career averages of 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 45/41/86 shooting splits. He scored a career-high 60 points for the Warriors in 2016, is known for his numerous postseason successes, and will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in due course.
