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Mark Jackson’s Blunt Take On Warriors’ Treatment Of Klay Thompson

Mark Jackson’s Blunt Take On Warriors’ Treatment Of Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson’s breakup with the Golden State Warriors was far messier than it probably needed to be.

Despite winning them four championships, Thompsons influence on the franchise wasn’t enough for them to want to overpay him on his next deal.

As a result, all parties involved agreed it was time to move on. Thompson’s relationship with Stephen Curry seemed to disintegrate a bit in the process, culminating in Curry and Draymond Green seemingly being happy he was gone.

This week Mark Jackson, who previously coached Thompson on the Warriors before being blackballed by the NBA, offered his thoughts on what transpired.

“I think in the ideal world, Klay Thompson finishes his career with the Golden State Warriors,” Jackson said.

“But you know how this business is. The loyalty only works one way, and that’s not a knock on the Warriors, that’s just the way the sports world is. Everybody doesn’t get to sign a deal at the end like Derek Jeter. Truth be told, you look back and they probably should have let him go as great as he was.”

Jackson didn’t stop there, though.

“Klay Thompson is going to be fine, and it’s a great pickup for the Dallas Mavericks,” he continued.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t end his career with the Golden State Warriors, but that’s not the way the world works. I’m proud of Klay Thompson because when we drafted him—and he’d be the first to tell you. I’m proud as a coach and as a friend.”

What sort of campaign will Thompson ultimately have with the Mavericks next season? An answer one way or the other is coming soon enough.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
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