Former NBA star Mychal Thompson has long talked about the fact that he’s tried to make his son Klay a Lakers fans ever since he was a child, as he played for the Los Angeles franchise. However, in a joking manner, he’s always regretted that the Warriors “got to him first,” despite his best efforts.
Just as Golden State didn’t re-sign his son and he was sent to free agency, it was his chance for him to strike a deal with the purple and gold. Nevertheless, the veteran shooting guard decided to take his basketball to Dallas. “I’m not feeling too much in a congratulatory mood right now,” his father told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday.
Klay had just agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks the day before, despite the Lakers showing a lot of interest in his services. However, it seems that choosing Dallas might be Thompson’s best chance at winning another title before he retires, especially after they reached the NBA Finals last season.
“I’m not feeling too much in a congratulatory mood.”
Mychal Thompson had hopes that his son, Klay Thompson, would join the Lakers.@champagnennuts | @TheFrankIsola | @Scalabrine pic.twitter.com/8TH9bV3Ktw
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 2, 2024
“You know, because, I mean, obviously it’s Klay’s decision. It’s his life,” Mychal shared on the radio show. “He’s a grown man, 34 years of age, just like we were 34 at one time. And our fathers used to give us advice and, you know, we would choose our own path and that’s fine, that’s what life is supposed to be about.”
The former L.A. athlete couldn’t hide his dispiritedness. “I’m really disappointed. I was hoping, as you can assess, that he would be a Laker,” he kept at it. “And it was close. It came down to the Lakers and the Mavs, but the Mavs won out. But you know me, I was hoping and praying he’d finish his career with the Lakers.”
Mychal was a part of a very special time for the purple and gold, as he joined the “Showtime” squad from 1987 and 1991 and even helped conquered the NBA title in two occasions. “When he told me that the Lakers were talking to him, or going to talk to him … obviously I tried to sell playing for the Lakers,” his father assured.
“The franchise has been so good to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Laker fan,” Mychal recalled. “He grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant like most players his age, most kids his age. So I just thought it…