Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts with guard Klay Thompson (11) in the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

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“Gonna be a weird night” – Steve Kerr set for emotional reunion with Klay Thompson as Mavs visit Warriors

Klay Thompson had a 13-year stint with Warriors before make a move to Mavericks this offseason.

As the Golden State Warriors prepare to host the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center, all eyes will be on star point guard Klay Thompson, who will make a return to Chase Center for the first time since signing for the Mavericks this offseason.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated encounter, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr opened up about the emotional reunion with Klay Thompson. Thompson, who was part of the Warriors’ dynasty for 13 years, signed with the Mavericks this offseason, and Kerr expects it to be a night filled with mixed emotions.

“It’s gonna be wild, it’s gonna be emotional… He’s in a great place and we’re all excited to see him but it’s definitely gonna be a weird night,” Kerr told Tom Tolbert & Adam Copeland.

While Kerr admitted that the reunion will be emotional, Klay Thompson downplayed his return stating it as “just another game”.

“It’ll be good to see people you grinded with, obviously – but to me, it’s just another regular season game in November,” Thompson told The Athletic.

Also Read: Warriors vs. Mavericks: Team News and Injury Report

While Thompson’s comment didn’t go down with some Warriors fans, Kerr believes it is the veteran guard’s strategy to “stay focused”.

“I think Klay has to get himself ready for a really emotional game and night, so he’s gotta do whatever he’s gotta do to get in the right head space and my guess is that’s part of it — just trying to approach it that way and not get too emotional,” Kerr explained.

Klay Thompson has had a mixed start to the season with the Mavericks. Through his first 10 games of the 2024-25 campaign, he’s averaging 13.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

The Mavericks are currently ranked 11th in the Western Conference with a 5-5 record, while the Warriors are placed in third spot with a 8-2 record.

Image Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

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Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.