Steph, Warriors ready for ‘war’ with Klay, Mavericks this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry will be first in line to give Klay Thompson his flowers when the former Warriors sharpshooter returns to Chase Center on Nov. 12. But after the pregame festivities end, it’s war.
His words, not ours.
Curry and longtime Warriors teammate Draymond Green spoke exclusively with ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk last week at the team’s training camp in Lāʻie, Hawaii, where they discussed Thompson’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason and what it will be like facing off against Thompson for the first time this season.
“Through training camps and practices, we played against each other on opposite teams,” Curry told ESPN. “But nothing like an actual competitive NBA game. So they’ll have the ceremony … and I’m going to be fully engaged and present and making sure you celebrate him the way he’s supposed to.
“And then after that, it’s war. That’s how we’re all built.”
Green had a more … abstract prediction for his first matchup against Thompson.
“I’m going to run through his chest,” Green added. “Because I used to run through my older brother’s chest when we played. There’s always this public disdain over me and Bron’s brotherhood. I try to kill him [on the court] more than anybody. I take him out. And vice versa. That’s what it is. I’m more apt to run through his chest than Kyrie [Irving].”
Neither Curry nor Green wanted Thompson to leave Golden State, but they understand the veteran guard’s decision and in no way hold any ill will toward their longtime teammate.
“It’s a happy divorce, if there’s a divorce,” Green shared with ESPN. “A lot of divorces are nasty. This ain’t one of them. I don’t even qualify it as a divorce. It’s just the next chapter in all of our lives. It’s an opportunity for me and Steph, see what we can do together.”
In fact, Green revealed to ESPN that Thompson invited him out on one last boat ride in Los Angeles before he left for training camp in Dallas before a family emergency prevented Green from taking Thompson up on his offer.
Curry, however, is one of Thompson’s few longtime teammates who has not joined him for a boat ride over the years but hopes to one day.
“It’s weird, we talked about [taking the boat out] when we first came into the league, stuff that we used to do together,” Curry told ESPN. “Then you start having families, me and Draymond have multiple kids and schedules going crazy. But I will get on this boat at some point, even though we’re not teammates anymore.”
Curry, Green, coach Steve Kerr and many within the Warriors organization always will have love and admiration for Thompson on and off the court — even as potential Western Conference rivals.
“You’re friends first, teammates second,” Curry added. “And that is how the relationship is and we will always be. I wish it was both. But I love Klay, I respect him for 78 games out of the year. I won’t say I’ll be rooting for him, but I’ll be watching him. The other four games we play him, I’ll be ready to go at him.”
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