Klay Thompson breaks silence on Warriors departure with emotional farewell

Dallas Mavericks point guard Klay Thompson may have moved south, but his heart will always be in the Bay Area. The four-time champion left the Golden State Warriors this summer after 13 years, ending one of the best single-club stretches in NBA history.

Thompson posted a heartfelt farewell message on Friday, via Instagram.

“Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and pictures to express how I truly feel for you all,” said the “Splash Brother.” “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to wear that Dubs jersey from day one. I really wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships to the area as possible.”

Although Thompson helped steer the ship during the team’s dynasty, it wasn’t his favorite part of the experience.

“The best part is not the rings, but the friendships I’ve made that will last a lifetime,” he continued. “My family and I want to thank all the amazing people who work tirelessly to make the @warriors organization a world class organization. Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened. Until we meet again. Captain of the Sea, #foureverchamps #splashbros4life #oaklandforever.”

The 34-year-old’s vulnerability might even touch the hearts of non-Warriors fans, as the basketball world has watched him and Steph Curry become the best backcourt in league history.

How special was their time together?

What Curry and Thompson did with the Warriors may never happen again

Curry and Thompson ushered in a new era for the NBA. While three-pointers had been commonplace since the turn of the century, the Golden State duo reached new heights, forcing the league to adapt accordingly. Curry now leads the all-time list in three-pointers made, while Thompson ranks sixth. No other starting duo comes close to their ranking.

THE Nickname of the “Splash Brothers” was invented by Warriors.com editor Brian Witt in 2012, via the team’s X account.

“Halftime: Warriors 58 – Bobcats 49. @StephenCurry30 and Klay Thompson are a combined 7 of 11 from three-point range #SplashBrothers,” Witt said.

Witt’s catchy nickname has its roots in Oakland sports lore, according to Kyle Irving of Sporting News.

“Part of the reason the term caught on — aside from Curry and Thompson’s wet shots — was that it was a perfect play on another famous Oakland duo, the Bash Brothers,” Irving explained. “The Bash Brothers were Oakland Athletics sluggers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, who hit a ton of home runs during their tenure as teammates, and even brought the city a championship in 1989.”

Even though the Athletics haven’t made the Bay Area proud recently, the Warriors dynasty will go down in history for how they revolutionized the game of basketball.