Former Foes During Cavaliers-Warriors Finals Matchups Now Teammates

Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson squared off in many matchups when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors played against one another in consecutive Finals. Now, they're teammates with the Dallas Mavericks.

Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA looked much different eight years ago.

Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown had just been drafted into the league, Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon saved the dunk contest, Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in a farewell game, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors routinely squared off in the NBA Finals.

Flash forward to 2024, and now two foes from those historic matchups are teaming up with one another, hoping to bring a championship to the Dallas Mavericks.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Klay Thompson is set to leave Golden State and is signing a three-year deal to team up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in Dallas, creating the league’s newest big three.

BREAKING: Free agent Klay Thompson plans to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50M deal with a player option, sources tell ESPN. Thompson ends his historic Warriors run as part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that’ll also send Josh Green to Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/4GJ5hR3H5o

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024

Irving and Thompson each played an integral role in bringing champions to their respective teams in the late 2010s.

Irving will always be known for “The Shot” in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, which snapped Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought, and Cavs fans still have flashbacks of watching Thompson pulling up from deep in transition and automatically hitting a three.

Thompson was the Warriors' best permitter defender during those matchups, so he found himself guarding Kyrie in many of those games. An elite scorer such as Kyrie and one of the game's best stoppers in Klay made their head-to-head matchups a treat to watch.

Funny enough, it was even Thompson who said LeBron James “probably just got his feelings hurt,” which is what sparked Kyrie and the Cavs' comeback from a 3-1 lead. 

Jun 7, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots as Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) guards during the fourth quarter in game three of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

No matter what teams Kyrie or Klay are a member of for the rest of their career, they’ll still be tied to those Finals matchups from so many years ago. 

For Cavs fans, seeing them as teammates playing alongside one another will definitely take some time to get used to. But the duo, along with Doncic, can potentially be one of the most dangerous lineups in the league next season.

The experience they gained playing against one another in those intense matchups could come back to help them each get back to the promised land of another NBA Championship.