Klay talks Mavericks move, rejuvenation, Doncic and Kyrie

Klay Thompson also discussed learning from Dallas coach Jason Kidd, not joining the Lakers, and wanting to win

Transcript

00:00I just felt like moving on could just re-energize me and do something special for the rest of

00:09my career.

00:10I just still know I can be a very, very good player in this league.

00:19Probably a little disappointed at first, but then as time goes on, you have a lot of time

00:22to reflect and you realize what you did.

00:25I take a lot of inspiration from past athletes and how their careers might have gone astray

00:31when they either left the team or joined a new team.

00:35Some guys thrive, and I look forward to just kind of being rejuvenated here.

00:44My dad was disappointed.

00:45I really haven't talked to him much about it, but at the end of the day, he was happy

00:48for me.

00:49He was a little selfish in his business interests because he wanted me to be at home with the

00:53family.

00:54I just appreciate someone who's not afraid of the moment and competes to the end, and

01:03Luka fits that bill, so I think we'll be able to bring the best out of each other.

01:08I really do.

01:13I've always been a fan of Kai's game and guarding him was hell, so it's nice to be on the other

01:19end of that for once.

01:20He actually was one of the first people to text me just how grateful he is to be here

01:25and how the city's embraced him, the organization's embraced him, especially after what he had

01:30to go through.

01:31I think just me being out there is going to give him a lot of space to operate.

01:39I don't think you can stick to me as much as you could in the past with guys like Luka

01:43and Kai out there.

01:49Just learning from a Hall of Fame talent like that, someone who I really grew up idolizing

01:53and appreciating his game and his athleticism, he just has a mind for basketball, and I know

01:59we're all excited to play for him.

02:01I'm just excited to ask him what it was like to guard Michael, then guard Kobe, and I got

02:05a lot of questions for him.

02:11Not many guys who play 13 years get a chance to win a championship or championships to

02:17end their career, and I think we're set up for a great run.

02:21I'm not really into breaking more shooting records.

02:24I just want to win at this point.

02:25Very little adjustments from getting over the top.

02:29I mean, Dirk went through it in his first Finals, and Luka did too, so we're knocking

02:34on the door, and that's what really, really got me excited to be here.