Klay Thompson among athletes to leave teams where they became stars

One half of the Splash Brothers is now part of the Dallas Mavericks.

After 13 seasons and four championships with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson is joining the Mavericks via a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors selected Thompson with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA draft and the guard played a key role in the franchise’s resurgence, alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

The five-time NBA All-Star will now team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Thompson joins a bevy of stars who left the franchise where they rose to fame. Here’s a look at other stars who made news when they left the teams they had been with for 10 seasons or more.

NBA

Michael Jordan

When you think about Michael Jordan, it’s almost as if his middle name should be “Chicago Bulls.” MJ was in the NBA for 16 seasons, helping the Bulls to six NBA titles: in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Perhaps the best NBA player of all time, Jordan seemed destined to spend his entire career with the team that drafted him in 1984. Or was he?

First, Jordan retired in October 1993 and had a brief stint in minor league baseball. The hiatus didn’t last long, and the NBA world was relieved when he simply said “I’m back” in a press release in March 1995. After a few more years of glory with the Bulls, Jordan retired for the second time in January 1999.

Jordan could not be away from basketball for long, joining the Washington Wizards‘ front office in January 2000. But management wasn’t enough for him either, and he joined the Wizards as a player in September 2001. It was certainly weird seeing him play for two seasons in something other than a red Bulls jersey. Jordan’s final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 — and yup, it was with the Wizards.

Patrick Ewing

A key part of the 1980s and ’90s New York Knicks, Ewing made his name in New York. He averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks with the Knicks. Though he missed the 1999 Finals with an injury, Ewing and New York pushed the Houston Rockets to seven games in the 1994 Finals before losing.

Ewing departed after 15 seasons and 11 NBA All-Star appearances in New York. He requested a trade and the franchise obliged, sending him to the Seattle SuperSonics. He spent one…