Steph Curry is still adjusting to not having his Splash Brother Klay Thompson at Golden State.
When Klay informed Steph he was leaving, Curry believed he could persuade the four-time champion to stay.
“Put it this way,” Curry told ESPN. “He can ask. But I don’t have to listen.”
As the Warriors entered training camp in late October, Curry finally realized that Klay wouldn’t be playing with him in the 2024-25 season.
“[Klay] would usually enter the practice facility coming off of his boat,” Curry said. “With his Dockers on, whatever outfit he had on. He just had a presence about him, a lightness when he came in the room. And his one-liners were always great. … [I’m] talking about him like he died, [which is] super weird. … Life throws a lot of curve balls in sports. You’re used to seeing people change places and teams. [However] up until but a week before he decided to sign Dallas, we never really thought it was going to end.”
Klay has been replaced by Buddy Hield and Kerr believes the team will adapt easily.
“One of the reasons we are excited to get Buddy Hield is because we will run some of the same stuff that we ran for Klay for Buddy,” Kerr told ESPN. “Draymond and Steph will be looking for him on the perimeter when they’re playing with him. And then the other new guys, Melton, Kyle Anderson — there’s a reason we targeted them too. They fit any lineup, such smart tough players that they’re easy to play with.
“So I don’t anticipate a really difficult transition basketball-wise. It’s more just the emotional void of Klay being gone after being so close with him and going through so much with him. That part is really sad. But you have to move on.”
Kerr may be right, after Hield performed well in his second pre-season game against the Kings.
The guard scored 22 points and three rebounds on 89 percent shooting from the field in 19 minutes.
