Former NBA star Mychal Thompson has long talked about the fact that he’s tried to make his son Klay a Lakers fans ever since he was a child, as he played for the Los Angeles franchise. However, in a joking manner, he’s always regretted that the Warriors “got to him first,” despite his best efforts.
Just as Golden State didn’t re-sign his son and he was sent to free agency, it was his chance for him to strike a deal with the purple and gold. Nevertheless, the veteran shooting guard decided to take his basketball to Dallas. “I’m not feeling too much in a congratulatory mood right now,” his father told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday.
Klay had just agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks the day before, despite the Lakers showing a lot of interest in his services. However, it seems that choosing Dallas might be Thompson’s best chance at winning another title before he retires, especially after they reached the NBA Finals last season.
“I’m not feeling too much in a congratulatory mood.”
Mychal Thompson had hopes that his son, Klay Thompson, would join the Lakers.@champagnennuts | @TheFrankIsola | @Scalabrine pic.twitter.com/8TH9bV3Ktw
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 2, 2024
“You know, because, I mean, obviously it’s Klay’s decision. It’s his life,” Mychal shared on the radio show. “He’s a grown man, 34 years of age, just like we were 34 at one time. And our fathers used to give us advice and, you know, we would choose our own path and that’s fine, that’s what life is supposed to be about.”
The former L.A. athlete couldn’t hide his dispiritedness. “I’m really disappointed. I was hoping, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker,” he kept at it. “And it was close. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. But you know me, I was hoping and praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
Mychal was a part of a very special time for the purple and gold, as he joined the “Showtime” squad from 1987 to 1991 and even helped conquer the NBA title on two occasions. “When he told me that the Lakers were talking to him, or going to talk to him … obviously I tried to sell playing for the Lakers,” his father assured.
“The franchise has been so good to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Laker fan,” Mychal recalled. “He grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant like most players his age, most kids his age. So I just thought it seemed like it would be the perfect fit for him to finally come back home.”
Mychal talked about how they both always talked about Klay one day playing for the Lakers, as it was always his second team after the Warriors
Even though Klay was part of the Golden State dynasty that conquered four NBA rings during his 13 seasons in the Bay Area, his father revealed that they always talked about him playing for the Lakers if the time came that he wasn’t a Warrior anymore.
“We always talked about him playing for the Lakers,” Mychal insisted, reminiscing on how his son was a purple and gold fan in his youth. “If he was not a Golden State Warrior, where else would he want to play? And of course, being a fan of Kobe’s, he would’ve loved to have played for the Lakers.”
Now that the 34-year-old’s role fluctuated this campaign in Golden State and was even downgraded to the bench many times, it was the perfect opportunity for him to follow his father’s dream. Klay averaged 17.9 points this past year, which was his lowest since 2012-13.
“But he had a chance, and when the chance came, he chose the Mavericks instead. And I’ll live with it. I accept it and I’m happy for him that he’s happy with his decision. But yeah, of course I tried to sell him on the Lakers,” his father said with remorse.
