'His dad's been trying to get him out of here for a while' - Andre Iguodala says Klay Thompson's dad had been asking his son to join the Lakers for years
Klay Thompson was always a Golden State Warrior — and it was meant to remain that way. From the moment he was drafted 11th overall in 2011, his loyalty was ensconced in the franchise's DNA.
Across dynasties and droughts, Thompson stayed grounded in the Bay. No flashy trades, no sideline speculation, no rumors entertained. For over a decade, that loyalty never wavered.
Father's conviction
Not even his father could convince him to walk away from Golden State. Mychal Thompson, a two-time NBA champion and a proud Los Angeles Lakers veteran, tried. He tried hard.
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"[Klay's] dad's a huge Lakers fan," said former Warriors star Andre Igoudala. "His dad's been trying to get him out of here for a while."
Thompson Sr., who wore the purple and gold from 1987 to 1991 and helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles in '87 and '88, had long envisioned a homecoming of sorts for his son. After all, Klay was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in a basketball household drenched in Showtime glory. Now a broadcaster for the Lakers, he wanted his son in that jersey.
When the younger Thompson hit free agency in 2019, Mychal reportedly urged him to explore his options. But Klay chose to stay at the Bay. Even after two grueling seasons lost to back-to-back ACL and Achilles injuries, even after Golden State missed the playoffs, he didn't budge.
But Mychal never let up. The vision of his son in Lakers gold was a mission. It just never panned out. Klay's choice to spurn Los Angeles, despite the Lakers' championship pedigree and his father's influence, speaks to a different kind of legacy. He was building his own identity in San Francisco.
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Related: "It's disappointing that so many relationships I had with people fell apart" - Bird on why he won't ever consider a front office role with the Celtics
Thompson's path
Drafted just two years after Stephen Curry and one year before Draymond Green, "Splash Brother" helped form the nucleus of a Warriors era that would redefine modern basketball. He was a sharpshooter and a foundational piece, both offensively and defensively.
By 2015, he was a champion. By 2017, he had three rings. And in 2022, after a 941-day layoff, two devastating injuries and months of doubt, he came back to win his fourth. Few comebacks in NBA history have matched that kind of resilience.
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One of the greatest shooters ever, he rode the Warriors' success only after enduring their pain. When the dynasty hit a wall in 2020 and 2021, when the team missed the playoffs entirely and fell from Finals contention to lottery hopes, he stayed present. That kind of commitment doesn't go unnoticed.
"He did say something meaningful like he wanted to be like M.J.," Iguodala said. "He wanted to stay with the same organization for his entire career and he didn't want to be coached by anyone else."
Yet sometimes, the story doesn't end the way it was supposed to. In 2024, negotiations between the Warriors and Thompson stalled. It came down to valuation. Golden State had younger priorities, a shifting roster and a tighter cap sheet. And so, he made a move.
He signed with the Dallas Mavericks, opting to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in a fresh Western Conference pursuit. It was a practical decision, not an emotional one. A change of scenery, not a change of heart.
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Over 11 seasons with Golden State, Thompson played in 793 regular-season games, scored over 15,000 points and made more than 2,200 3-pointers. He was a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and the owner of the single greatest shooting quarter in NBA history — 37 points in 12 minutes. More than stats, though, he represented the Warriors' soul.
Related: "I'm probably never going to do it again" - Stephen Curry explains why he might never compete in the 3-point contest again
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New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Indiana broadcast cuts away from Pacers' epic Game 1 rally over Thunder in NBA Finals
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Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Finals predictions! Who will be champion: Pacers or Thunder? And who will win Finals MVP?
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I disagree with the narrative, but a poor showing would give the haters more ammo to reignite that asinine conversation. For all the signature moments he's provided this postseason, I'm anticipating he'll rise to the occasion and continue silencing the critics against one of the best defenses we've seen in a very long time. Haberstroh: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but if I'm being honest, it's hard to drum up do-or-die stakes when these teams are so young and have such bright futures ahead of them. With that said, the Pacers are playing with house money right now, so the pressure is all on the Thunder to deliver after winning 68 games with the MVP. If SGA wins a title, the volume on the foul merchant chants won't hit the same decibels next season. Goodwill: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP, the league's scoring leader and, let me repeat, MVP by a wide margin. The last reigning MVP to get to the Finals and lose was Stephen Curry in 2016. And remember those jokes, the 3-1 cookies and the like? People still bring that up. Nobody bags on Allen Iverson for 2001. He was lauded for that one-game performance. But Karl Malone in 1997? A big topper in Michael Jordan's legacy. It's too early for the legacy stuff, seriously. But reputation? It will be solidified as the league's top big-game player, the foul merchant stuff will quiet, and entering the club of champions is far more important than most can imagine. Advertisement Devine: It's tough to go too heavy into legacy talk with so many of the principles here still so young, with so much runway ahead of them … so let's go with Rick Carlisle. Only 14 coaches in NBA history have won multiple championships, and only three (Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Alex Hannum) have led more than one franchise to the promised land. No observer with a pulse and two eyes can doubt the impact Carlisle has had on winning throughout his tenures in Detroit, Dallas and Indiana; a second ring, though, would put him in historically exclusive company. 3. Name an X-factor in this series Devine: Chet Holmgren. I wrote all about why in our series preview, but the CliffsNotes: He didn't play in either regular-season matchup against Indiana, and whom he guards, who guards him and the downstream effects of those two decisions will represent pretty major tactical questions on both sides of the floor. If he can limit Pascal Siakam and keep turning the paint into a no-fly zone, I'm not sure how Indiana scores enough to win this series; if he struggles as much as literally every other defender has with Siakam and gets drawn out of the paint, then the Pacers might have a pathway. Rohrbach: Andrew Nembhard. It sounds like he will draw the initial defensive assignment on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 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As great as OKC's defense is, the Thunder's constant ball pressure can sometimes leave them vulnerable on weak-side rotations. That's an opportunity for the hot-shooting Pacers and Nesmith to take advantage. 4. After Game 1, everyone's going to be talking about _________ Titus: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It's all eyes on the MVP, as SGA will set the tone for the series from the outset. In their two regular-season matchups, SGA averaged 39 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 stocks on 56% shooting from the field. He hasn't missed a beat through three rounds and he ain't stopping on the NBA's biggest stage. Advertisement Goodwill: Lu Dort. He plays football and at times, can be reckless going for loose balls. Defending Haliburton will be his main task, and unlike Anthony Edwards, Haliburton isn't the same physical specimen, so getting pushed around won't be looked at so kindly. But yes, sticking his chest into everybody will be a story after Game 1. Devine: Alex Caruso. 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There's a good chance he'll be the story coming off his Western Conference finals run. I could see him sliding over at center especially if Indiana goes zone. He's critical to everything they do. 5. What's your Finals prediction, and who's the Finals MVP? Haberstroh: Thunder in 5. My head is telling me it's gonna be a sweep, but my heart won't let me go there. The villainous Pacers will get hot and torch OKC from deep to steal one game, but I'm going with my preseason pick, the Thunder, in a quick one. SGA wins the first clean sweep of MVP and Finals MVP since LeBron James in 2012-13. Titus: Thunder in 6. The Pacers will show resilience and steal a couple of games with their depth and coaching adjustments, but OKC's brilliance will ultimately prevail. It's only fitting that SGA concludes this historic year by becoming the fourth player in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP and Finals MVP in the same season. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration) Rohrbach: Thunder in ... 4. With all due respect to the Pacers, the watered-down Eastern Conference has met its match in a 68-win juggernaut. Give Gilgeous-Alexander his Finals MVP, and call it a summer. Advertisement Devine: Read the preview! It's all in there! OK, fine: Thunder in 6, and SGA caps off a season for the ages by adding Finals MVP hardware to his regular-season and Western Conference finals MVP trophies. Goodwill: Thunder in 5. It's not disrespect to the Pacers. It's just the Thunder are that damn good and those 68 wins weren't by accident. They graduated by beating the Nuggets in the seven-game slugfest. Now, it's time to turn those tassels over, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way as the Finals MVP. It's OKC's time.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why are international players flocking to the WNBA?
NEW YORK — For a few minutes after a shootaround, Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase sat on the sideline with French guard Carla Leite beside her. Nakase demonstrated different hand motions and signaled to her 21-year-old rookie guard. Looking to bridge a communication gap as much as possible, Nakase recognized Leite as a strong visual learner. 'Sometimes, it's not easy for me to speak,' Leite said. Advertisement More than any other WNBA franchise, the Valkyries roster is a global tapestry. Leite, who said her English is improving every day, is just one part of that. Golden State's opening night roster featured players from six countries. 'I have to learn French is what I've learned,' Nakase said. French is the Valkyries' unofficial second language. Rookies Janelle Salaün and Leite are natives of France, and guard Julie Vanloo, who is Belgian, speaks French fluently. Vanloo said she is 'available if needed' to translate. Rookie center Kyara Linskens, another Belgian, downplayed her French proficiency, though when asked by Nakase if she could speak the language, Linskens replied: 'un petit peu.' Translation: a little bit. (Perhaps Linskens is underselling her knowledge.) Some Valkyries assistants are even learning to count in French to connect with players. Advertisement While Golden State is the WNBA's newest and most worldly team, it isn't alone in its international presence. The number of foreign-born players in the league has continued to increase. At the start of this season, the league had 34 players born outside the U.S., up from 25 at the beginning of the 2023 season. Among this season's group, 18 were in their first or second WNBA seasons. A new generation of international players is showing newfound interest in the league — and vice versa. Twelve new roster spots for the addition of Golden State as an expansion franchise were only part of the surge. According to interviews with more than 10 players, executives and coaches, the WNBA's growing global presence, engaged fan bases, increased ownership investment and expected forthcoming salary increases also contribute to its growth. 'You're seeing more and more international players, more Europeans, wanting to come here and play because it's the most competitive league in the world,' said Cecilia Zandalasini, a Valkyries wing and native of Italy. Advertisement Since its inception, the WNBA has maintained a global presence, with the number of international players peaking in the early 2000s, when the league had three more teams than it does today. However, as the initial fanfare wore off and the league underwent a turbulent period, the number of foreign players declined. At the start of the 2011 season, the league had just 15 foreign-born players due to national team commitments, limited financial incentives, role adjustments and a desire to rest during the summer, which became some of the reasons the WNBA wasn't always the top choice for international players. Some of the world's most decorated European players of the last 15 seasons — Alina Iagupova, Alba Torrens and Laia Palau — never played in the WNBA. Yet, amid a period of transformational growth, international player interest has also increased. The WNBA is broadcast in more than 24 languages this season, up from 16 in 2022, with players tuning in to see packed arenas. (League attendance in 2024 was up 48 percent year-over-year, the highest mark in 22 years.) 'With the (increased) visibility of the league, it does make more sense that more girls would want to aspire to make it to the league,' said Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle, who is American-born but grew up in the United Kingdom. Advertisement Exposure takes different forms. Fagbenle loved tennis and didn't watch a WNBA game until she was 14. But soon after seeing her first game, reaching the WNBA became her goal. Sevgi Uzun, a Turkish guard who began the season with the Phoenix Mercury, turned pro at 16 and started practicing alongside WNBA players who competed in her native country during their offseasons. Although no Turkish women's basketball players were in the WNBA when she grew up, Uzun, as a developing prospect, received consistent encouragement from WNBA players about her potential ceiling. 'Kayla McBride was the very first one who told me you're different, you can do something,' Uzun said. (McBride first played in Turkey in 2017.) Multiple league executives also cited the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which both France and Belgium pushed the American team, as another demonstration of the high-quality international player pool. In recent years, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has discussed the desire to globalize the WNBA. Over the last decade, the league has had only three All-Stars born outside the U.S. (Australian Liz Cambage, Emma Meesseman from Belgium, and Jonquel Jones from The Bahamas). A younger generation of foreign players has taken notice of the league's global brand. Advertisement 'People are watching it more and are looking forward to being like, 'OK, this can be a goal,' ' said Mercury rookie guard Monique Akoa Makani, who grew up in Cameroon and France. By seeing Belgian guard Julie Allemand (L.A. Sparks) and French guard Marine Johannès (New York Liberty) make a WNBA impact, Akoa Makani found players she could emulate. 'I used to practice with them when they were pro in my local team, and at the time, I was looking up to them,' she said. 'When I saw them going to the W, I was like, 'We're kind of from the same place, why not (me)?' ' Johannès is among a group of international players who face a unique decision this month: continue playing for their WNBA teams or take a brief hiatus to compete in FIBA's EuroBasket tournament, which runs from June 18 to 29. Johannès sat out the 2024 WNBA season to play for France's Olympic team and will not participate in this month's tournament to remain with the Liberty. However, her New York teammates Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are competing for Germany. The Liberty's absences pale in comparison to Golden State, as Salaün, Zandalasini, Vanloo and Fagbenle will participate in the event. Advertisement Fagbenle, the captain of Team Great Britain, hopes that FIBA and the WNBA will collaborate going forward, so that players aren't forced to choose between country and club teams. 'Two major entities that I would hope would want to work together to figure out a way to make things work for the players who want to play them both,' she said. 'I'm optimistic.' Earlier this month, FIBA announced it was shifting the 2030 World Cup to late November and early December, while the 2026 World Cup is set to take place in early September, creating a potentially significant scheduling conflict for the WNBA. The WNBA may take a brief hiatus just before the 2026 playoffs, although the scheduling specifics will also need to be collectively bargained with the players' association. The league's players, including top American players, may have to make difficult decisions ahead of the most critical time on the WNBA calendar. Faced with the decision to stay or leave for this month's EuroBasket, some foreign players have elected to remain with their WNBA teams. Golden State's Linskens and Leite are staying in the U.S. to focus on their first seasons. Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams will stay to compete in her first full WNBA season since 2022, and Storm rookie Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 pick in April's draft from France, will also continue her WNBA season. Advertisement 'I think my rookie season is important and I wanted to leave it all with the team,' Malonga said. Added Leite: 'I think everybody who is born in Europe is also now having the dream to come to the WNBA, so everybody's just super grateful.' Yet as more international players join the WNBA, an inverse situation is occurring abroad. Over the last 15 years, WNBA greats such as Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Sylvia Fowles played multiple winter seasons on professional teams in Turkey, China and Russia. However, the era of top Americans playing abroad appears to be fleeting. Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league that debuted in January, provides players with a high-paying U.S.-based alternative. The result of American stars not going abroad is already being felt, according to first-year Connecticut Sun coach Rachid Meziane. Advertisement 'I think overseas domestic leagues are going down a little bit because there are fewer good players because the best players in the world are here,' said Meziane, who is the WNBA's first French-born head coach. Uzun spent the past season with the Turkish power Fenerbahçe, and she sees a change, too. 'It affects us, especially in EuroLeague,' she said. 'It does affect the quality of the league and the competition. But if you're gonna ask me individually, is (their presence) more important (than) their mental (health) and (spending time with) their families? I'm glad they can choose that now. They have enough power to choose that and make that decision.' Players from different continents now have more options than ever for professional play. But as it relates to the summer calendar, the pull of the WNBA appears stronger than ever before. 'Perception has changed,' said Zandalasini, who returned to the WNBA last year after a five-year hiatus. 'The WNBA is growing so fast, and there are fans definitely coming to every game everywhere, so it's more appealing as a league.' Advertisement — The Athletic This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
