What Klay told Draymond in an emotional conversation before the Warriors’ departure Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
The Warriors’ dynastic trio of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson dissolved on Monday when the latter… joined the Dallas Mavericks in NBA free agency.
And while it wasn’t exactly a surprise to Dub Nation after reports surfaced over the weekend that Thompson was on his way out, the four-time NBA champion did let his longtime teammates know last week that He would not return to the Bay in a final, heartfelt conversation.
“I gotta say, I don’t really know how I feel about it,” Green said in his first public comments since Thompson’s departure on Tuesday’s episode of his podcast. “Klay told us last week. I don’t know who he told it to, but I know he talked to me, I’m pretty sure he talked to Steph last week, and he just… started talking through the years, like, ‘(It’s) been great. What we’ve done is so special. You and Steph (are) my brothers forever.'”
“And the conversation starts off as just casual chat, and you’re just kind of preparing yourself, like, ‘Take me there. I know it’s gonna happen. ‘ You’re enjoying the conversation, but yet it’s one of those moments where someone is setting you up before they blow you up… I was heading to my daughter’s recital, so I didn’t get to go as deep into the conversation as I maybe would have, which I think was a good thing for me too because when Klay told me, I was able to listen, and it wasn’t like, ‘Hey, we could end up like this,’ or ‘You should reconsider this. ‘
“It was just like, ‘Wow, okay. Congrats bro, I’m happy for you. That’s great,’ to obviously make sure that (this) doesn’t change anything for us. It changes the basketball court, obviously, but relationships, they are what they are, they’re forever.”
Thompson, Green and Curry created a dynasty in the Bay Area that… stand the test of timeAnd even though half of the Splash Brothers will be wearing a different uniform next season, the bond between the three is unbreakable. That was evident in Thompson’s attitude in informing Green of his decision ahead of time.
“The connection, the bond, even the fact that everyone mentions us together, that’s forever. That will never change, but it’s… I don’t know. I haven’t really been able to process the feelings… Earlier today, I think I shed a couple of tears, a tear or two, just sitting there and thinking.”
There are moments in life that you can’t prepare for, even if you can see them coming from miles away. And while Green is undoubtedly happy about Thompson’s next step in his NBA career, that doesn’t make his friend’s departure any easier.
