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Warriors owner Joe Lacob was among the first to know about Klay Thompson’s decision to leave Golden State.
At first, he was disappointed by the news. But soon after, he expressed his admiration for the team’s legendary scorer.
Lacob appeared on the latest episode of The Athletic. Hoops Adjacent Podcastwhere he discussed Thompson’s departure and what he sent the veteran guard the day after their first phone conversation before the start of the NBA free agency period.
“After he called me and told me he made the decision to move on, this was before free agency, he called me and was very nice and made it clear he didn’t like to make the call but said ‘I feel like I have to do this,’” Lacob recalled. “Then right after that, it was the next day, a few days before free agency started, I sent him a video of me bowing to him and it was just my way of saying that he meant a lot to us and a lot to this organization and everything we’ve accomplished as a group and that I still feel that way about him.”
The video Lacob is referring to was a moment that went viral after Thompson scored 41 points and hit 11 three-pointers in the Warriors’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, with Golden State’s owner bowing to Thompson in the tunnel after the game.
Lacob will always consider Thompson a close friend, but when the Warriors face the Dallas Mavericks for the first time during the 2024-25 NBA season, Lacob knows his team won’t take Thompson lightly.
“I will always be like that and it will never change. I don’t care what people think about what happened or didn’t happen, he will always be welcome in my life and I hope he feels the same way,” Lacob added. “Honestly, I’m a little teary about it. I hope we can be friends forever. He’s going to be in Dallas for a few years and we’re going to have to kick his ass. But it’s just a job and I’m sure he feels the same way, it’s the whole competition. But he will always be welcome in our home.”
With Thompson gone, Lacob and the Warriors still remember the special moments the five-time MVP had with the team. However, they will soon have to compete against their new Western Conference rival.
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