Jason Kidd Reveals Story of Kyrie Irving Recruiting Klay Thompson to Mavericks
![Jan 29, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Jan 29, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) in the second quarter at the Chase Center.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4766,h_2680,x_0,y_256/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_warriors/01j5s2xs8h107hyfk74d.jpg)
When it became clear that Klay Thompson would leave the Golden State Warriors, many felt the Los Angeles Lakers would be the frontrunner to land him. From Los Angeles, Thompson's father Mychal Thompson won two championships with the Lakers.
Ultimately choosing the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson was reportedly recruited heavily by Kyrie Irving.
During a recent episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's "Dubs Talk" show, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd revealed Irving's involvement in recruiting Thomson.
“When you talk about the recruitment, it was a lot of people that were involved in that," Kidd said. "But one of the biggest players in that was [Irving]. [Irving] being able to, player to player, (detail) his experience of what Dallas has been like for him in two years and being able to tell Klay the honest truth of what he thinks can happen with Klay coming to Dallas.”
Kidd added, "I would love to say it was all me, but it wasn't. It was a team effort. But I think player-to-player – in this league, they all talk about their situations, and they all recruit one another – this was about [Irving] and Klay being able to talk."
With four titles, Thompson brings championship experience to a Mavericks team that expects to compete for one. Irving defeated Thompson and the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, so he also has championship experience.
Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving helping recruit Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks: pic.twitter.com/kXyb5QdZn6
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) August 20, 2024
Thompson is not the player he was during those championship runs, but is still an elite shooter who projects to fit will offensively next to Irving and Luka Doncic.
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