The Los Angeles Lakers became a destination for first-time unrestricted free agent Klay Thompson this offseason.
Thompson grew up rooting for the Lakers in Los Angeles. His father, Michael Thompson, won two NBA championships with the organization as a player in the late 1980s and currently serves as the team’s radio analyst. Thompson was personally courted by LeBron James to join the team in Los Angeles, and the Lakers superstar is reportedly willing to cut Thompson’s contract extension if he signs with the purple and gold.
However, Thompson chose to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, a potential three-team sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets.
So why did Thompson decide to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving instead of making a run with the Warriors in the Bay Area or chasing another championship with James?
“Playing for the Lakers felt more like playing for the Warriors,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews wrote. reported on Wednesday. “As someone close to him put it, ‘Would it be trading one fishbowl for another?’
Thompson wanted a fresh start in a new market. The Warriors have been a global brand since Thompson joined Steph Curry in a star-studded backcourt that forever changed the way NBA basketball is played. The Lakers have always been together—if not more The– Most talked about teams in the NBA by pundits and the media.
Thompson didn’t draw attention by choosing the Mavericks over the Lakers, Warriors and other teams in free agency. The Mavs are coming off an NBA Finals appearance and are owned by one of the most outspoken owners in sports, Mark Cuban.
But Thompson wanted a different set of new experiences for his 12th NBA season. That’s what he’ll get in Dallas.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”