Klay Thompson returns to Chase Center to the cheers of about 400 Warriors employees

SAN FRANCISCO – Klay Thompson exited the team bus and beamed as he walked back to Chase Center Tuesday evening, greeted by about 400 cheering Warriors employees who lined up along his path to the Dallas locker room to show their love and appreciation for the former Golden State star.

Once the ball was tipped a few hours later, Thompson attempted an impromptu shimmy, Stephen Curry-style, as the former Splash Brothers dueled in different uniforms.

The employees who greeted Thompson wore “Captain Klay” hats, the giveaway for all fans on a celebratory evening commemorating his 13 years with the franchise and the four championships he helped win.

“That was really cool,” Thompson said. “I am very grateful that the employees gave me that kind of love… totally unexpected and definitely a smile on my face. Something I will never forget.”

Those white hats filled Chase Center, which featured video highlights of Thompson in a place where he is still beloved — and always will be. Curry jogged over to Thompson, who was now wearing No. 31 with teammate Kyrie Irving at No. 11, and offered a quick hug in their first words of the day before Andrew Wiggins also hugged his old teammate.

“Luckily we were all able to focus on the game and just hoop and compete,” Curry said. “It was definitely a surreal night.”

Thompson scored 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting with six 3-pointers, but looked on Curry shines in the closing moments of Golden State’s 120-117 victory. Thompson then high-fived a fan and tossed his white headband into the seats, giving one lucky patron an unexpected souvenir.

Earlier, after a brief jump rope outside the Mavericks’ locker room, Thompson ran out of the tunnel and onto the floor to thunderous applause from Warriors fans with phones raised to capture the moment of Thompson’s return.

“It was a cool moment to feel the energy from the fans,” Thompson said. “Especially all the chatter I heard, it was all positive.”

Curry had considered addressing the crowd before tipoff, but he and Thompson exchanged a few text messages and they each decided to focus on the game, even though coach Steve Kerr knew it would be something if they had to meet each other defend.

Just 15 seconds into the game, Curry fouled Thompson, who scored the first two points of the game on free throws. He missed his first two field goal attempts before knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:26 left in the opening quarter.

“I’m so surprised they made a post for him on the first play,” Curry said. “I blacked out, I didn’t want to let him score and I fouled him. It was a very special evening.”

The Warriors invited all of their employees to be part of the welcoming committee for Thompson, who joined Dallas in July on a three-year, $50 million contract. The 34-year-old Thompson missed more than 2.5 years – the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons – as he recovered from surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles tendon before making his comeback in January 2022.

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr said. “…The last few years after he came back, he struggled to reconcile all that and lost those top seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle emotionally with it. We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in 3s two years ago and has done a lot of great things.

“We wish this would have lasted forever, that Klay would have ended his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things. In the end, I think he made the right choice. I think he needed a fresh start, I think that he was kind of in a new environment and that was clear last year. He wasn’t happy and that was hard to see because he deserves to be happy.

Thompson had tried to downplay the magnitude of his return to the Bay Area, saying it was just another game in November.

“I hope y’all didn’t believe him,” said Curry, who watched the tribute video from the tunnel to gain some space from all the emotions.

As the home crowd went wild, jumping to their feet in a warm ovation and tipping their captain’s hats as he was introduced, Thompson was visibly emotional and clearly touched by the tribute. He waved and saluted in different directions.

“I couldn’t imagine a better night,” Curry said.

Golden State held a “Salute Captain Klay” ceremony before tipoff to pay tribute to Thompson’s contributions to the franchise and his tradition of sailing across the Bay to games. He will be back again in February during the Mavs’ second trip to Chase Center.

For Kerr, the moment felt very different from Thompson’s triumphant return almost three years ago, after injuries and the daunting grind of rehab that the veteran guard considered one of the most difficult days of his life.

“That was a welcome return, we knew there were still many good times ahead. In fact, there was a championship six months later,” Kerr said. “This one is obviously more of a farewell, the first time we will see him. … It will feel very strange, but it will be a different atmosphere, more of a thank you and a goodbye and everything you have meant to us.”

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