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00:00And in honor of Klay Thompson being back at Chase Center tonight in a matter of hours
00:05we're giving away a Klay Warriors jersey in the four o'clock hour.
00:09We've got the Klay Carnival going on out here at Thrive City right next to where we're broadcasting
00:14from right outside the arena so stay locked in for all those details and also it is why
00:19we're having his pops on.
00:22Klay Thompson is back in the bay.
00:25Michael Thompson is back on 95.7 The Game on Willard and Dibbs.
00:30Hey Michael, how you doing?
00:31Boy, you guys have this all wrong.
00:32You have it right.
00:33It is just not just an ordinary November game.
00:34It is a very important November game because you guys are missing the real story.
00:35This is the opening night of the Emirates Cup where the Lakers are defending champions.
00:36Yeah.
00:37Thank you, Michael.
00:38I've been trying to tell my partner how important this cup is and you know what?
00:39We're going to win it.
00:40We're going to win it.
00:41We're going to win it.
00:42We're going to win it.
00:43We're going to win it.
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01:59We're going to win it.
02:00We're going to win it.
02:01But I wonder how you'd feel if you could, Michael, because it's not just back to see
02:08his former brethren and teammates.
02:11I'm telling you, man, the plaza outside Chase Center has essentially been dedicated to clay.
02:18The big board on Chase Center, no concert advertisements, no Steph Curry pictures.
02:26There's no nothing.
02:27It is a rolling set of different pieces of artwork that are all based on clay.
02:33We've set up a carnival based on clay.
02:36Like everything, this whole city was there to film him walk from the hotel to the bus
02:41today.
02:42The whole thing is about your son, Michael.
02:45The only thing I care about today is I want one of them captain hats that I can wear when
02:51I go to the bar.
02:52We got you covered, brother.
02:53We got you.
02:54Send me your address and it's on the way as if I know a box of them aren't already on
03:00your doorstep.
03:01No, it's cool.
03:02It's really cool.
03:03We're going to come back and I'm sure it's going to be very emotional for him.
03:06And you really have to really have to temper your emotions and the sentimentality of it
03:11all because you still have a job to do.
03:13You still have a game to win and you can't get all lost in all the ceremonial stuff and
03:17the pomp and circumstances and the video and everything that's going to be very special
03:22of course.
03:23And I appreciate it all, but you really have to get your mind ready to play after all the
03:29welcoming ceremonies is over with.
03:30So, but still it's very nice for the warrior fans and the organization to bring us to welcome
03:36them back the way they're going to do that tonight.
03:38Where is he on the sentimentality scale, Michael?
03:41I know that he's been talking about, you know, locking in and it's a new team and they're
03:46struggling a little bit with just five and five record so far.
03:50Is he more of a, at the end of the career reflection guy than maybe doing it tonight?
03:56Oh no, not definitely not.
03:58Play just lives in the moment and the team, the Mavericks have had some tough losses early
04:03and all he cares about is winning this game tonight and getting them back on the right
04:06track the way the Warriors have been in the start of the season.
04:09So he's not thinking about, boy, my time is winding down.
04:13He's living in the moment and trying to make the most out of today.
04:17Michael Thompson with us here on Withered and Dibs as we celebrate Clay Day.
04:21Michael, I wonder if you could take us back to when the relationship between Clay Thompson
04:26and the Warriors got started, like even before the draft, Bob Myers was on our station earlier
04:32today sharing a story of a dinner that was, I think, just a party of five and it was Larry
04:39and it was Bob and it was Clay and it was you and it was Julie and that's it.
04:45What do you remember from that dinner?
04:47Oh, it was just a great time to get used to everybody, get to know everybody and it was
04:53so flattering that the Warriors thought that much of Clay that they'd want to bring us
04:58out to dinner to get to know us as a family, to get to know Clay behind the scenes.
05:02So it was very flattering that such a prestigious franchise was interested in bringing Clay
05:07on board.
05:08What I mostly remember is the great Jerry West after watching Clay work out at the L.A.
05:14Clippers practice facility down here in L.A. walked up to me and said, we're going to draft
05:19your boy, Michael.
05:20We love him.
05:21So once Jerry West gave me that kind of confirmation, then I knew everything was going to be cool
05:26because if you can get that kind of opinion from Jerry West, then you know you've got
05:33your foot in the door and you're headed in the right direction.
05:36So when the draft happens and Sacramento trades up to number 10 and takes Jimmer for dead,
05:41at that moment, did you kind of have an inkling that this was actually going to happen with
05:45Jerry West and the Warriors taking Clay?
05:47Yeah, I knew it because at the time, Wayne Cooper, my former teammate, the late Wayne
05:52Cooper passed away a few years ago.
05:53He was an assistant GM for the Kings and he was begging the Kings to draft Clay because
05:58he liked Clay and Jeff Petrie at the time and the Sacramento Kings were all in on Jimmer
06:03for dead because for that was the Kaitlin Clark of college basketball at the time.
06:07So he thought he'd be a huge gate attraction for Sacramento.
06:10So they were all bought in on him.
06:12And Wayne Cooper told me, man, he was begging them to take Clay, that he'd be a better fit
06:16for the King Kings.
06:17So once I knew the Kings weren't going to draft Clay, then I figured from what I understood
06:21from Bill Duffy, Clay's agent at the time, that the Warriors were definitely going to
06:25draft him.
06:26Michael, I wonder, since you brought up Jerry West, if you could also take us through the
06:31experience of what actually happened with these rumors about Clay Thompson for Kevin
06:37Love, right?
06:38There's all these trade rumors out there and the story goes, and I'm sure there's more
06:42to it than this, but the story that's out there with fans is, you know, Jerry West pounded
06:48on a table and told the Warriors, don't do this.
06:51That's the wrong thing to do.
06:53What do you know about that experience and what those discussions were like?
06:59That's exactly what happened.
07:00Clay came very close to being a Minnesota Timberwolf and playing for my former college
07:04teammate, Flip Saunders.
07:05As a matter of fact, we talked about it.
07:07Rumors were so strong that the Warriors are going to draft, trade for Kevin Love and Clay
07:11was a little distraught about that because he loved playing with Steph and Dre Mon and
07:15the guys who love the Bay Area, wasn't looking forward to going to Minnesota.
07:18So I was talking to him about it.
07:19I said, well, Clay, if this trade goes through, you're going to love playing for Flip Saunders.
07:23He's a great guy.
07:24He's a good coach.
07:25He'll know how to utilize you with Ricky Rubio at the time.
07:29So if you do have to get traded, Minnesota would be a perfect spot for you because Flip
07:32Saunders is one of the smart coaches in the league.
07:34So we actually talked about it like that.
07:36But of course, Jerry West and also Steve Kerr, I guess, put his foot down and said, nope,
07:41we cannot do this.
07:42And if Jerry West said, if you trade Clay, then you don't need me around him anymore
07:45if you're a consultant and he was going to resign.
07:48Yeah.
07:49And that was a smart thing to do at the time because, I mean, the rest is four championships
07:53in history.
07:54And then we get to this past season, Michael, and this past summer, and it becomes kind
07:58of clear that the two sides are going to part ways.
08:01What was that like for Clay and you and the family to realize that it was time for him
08:06to go to a new team?
08:08I was disappointed.
08:09I was hoping, along with Draymond and Steph, like Dirk Nowitzki did and Kobe and Magic
08:14Johnson, Larry Bird, some of the other great, great players in the history of the game were
08:18able to stay with one franchise their whole career.
08:21So I was hoping that he and Steph and Draymond would all go out together in a couple, in
08:26a three, four years together.
08:28So I was disappointed that that wasn't allowed to happen.
08:31So I'm still disappointed about it.
08:33He's made a good choice going to Dallas.
08:34It's a great franchise.
08:35They have some great players there, but I wish that he could have stayed with the Warriors
08:40his whole career.
08:41Yeah.
08:42I'm sure that, you know, there's lots of feelings there.
08:46I mean, Michael, I wonder, you know, again, if you can shed some light on what we all
08:53out in the public feel we know about a situation.
08:57It's been shared now by all sides that the last two years were really, really mentally
09:02tough for Clay.
09:05And I know how close you guys are, so I'm sure that you're involved in talking to him
09:11constantly about what he was experiencing and feeling.
09:15What can you share about that?
09:17What was Clay going through the last couple of years?
09:19Oh, he was just happy and thankful to be back there playing, basically.
09:23Yeah, he wanted to sign an extension and stay with the Bay Area, but he couldn't overlook.
09:27He couldn't forget about the big picture of how he came back from two significant injuries,
09:32devastating injuries, and was able to continue his career.
09:35So even though things didn't work out organizationally with the Warriors, I told him to stay on the
09:41positive side and just be thankful that you can still play three or four more years.
09:45That's the bottom line.
09:46How do you think that he's fitting in with his new team?
09:49I know that they're off to a little bit of a slow start, and he had a great start to
09:53his season in Dallas, and maybe he's leveled off a little bit.
09:56When you watch Mavericks basketball, what do you make of Clay and the fit with Luka
10:00and Kyrie?
10:01Well, it's a different style, that's for sure, because Luka and Kyrie are so ball-dominant,
10:06and sometimes the smarter shooters have to stand and watch.
10:09But I like the way the Warriors play for Clay's system, moving the ball, ball and man movement,
10:14whipping the ball around.
10:16So hopefully Dallas will get back to that style, or get to that style eventually, and
10:19really take advantage of what Clay can give them.
10:22But I prefer playing the system the way the Warriors move the ball, or the way the Toronto
10:26Raptors move the ball, watching those guys, or the Indiana Pacers, fast-paced.
10:30Sometimes the Mavericks can get a little too slow-paced, and Clay would be better suited
10:34when they play quick.
10:35Michael, I know you keep such a close eye on all these teams, I mean, are you a little
10:41surprised at the way the Warriors have started, particularly now that they don't have Clay?
10:47Yeah, of course, they went into Boston and whooped up on Boston, yeah, they had a hiccup
10:52in Cleveland, but then they go into Oklahoma City and spank those guys too, so yeah, the
10:56Warriors, they're very deep, they've got shooters up and down that roster, they're unselfish
11:02well-coached, so yeah, they and the Cavaliers are the surprise two teams in the East in
11:07the NBA right now, the Cavaliers still undefeated, and the Warriors right there at the top of
11:11the Western Conference, so yeah, I knew the Warriors would be good, because as long as
11:15you have Steph and Draymond, they're going to be a playoff contender, but yeah, it surprised
11:19me that they're this good so early.
11:21And even going to Oklahoma City and beating the Thunder team, and I know they lost Chad
11:25Holmgren pretty early in that ballgame with a bad hip injury, but is that a win where
11:30you look at it and you think, maybe this Warrior team could be better than most people think?
11:34Oh yeah, that's a signature win, to go into Oklahoma City, even though Chad Holmgren got
11:39hurt, but to go there and dominate the Thunder the way they did, even though, like I said,
11:45Holmgren didn't play most of the game, but still, that's a very impressive win.
11:50Michael Thompson is with us here on Weatherden Dibs, 95.7 The Game.
11:53Michael, you know, the press conferences Klay has had the last 48 hours, I know you get
11:57it, because he's got to lock in, he's got a job to do, as you said, but Warrior fans,
12:02I think they hear what he says, and they're kind of like, it feels a little hard to hear,
12:08I guess, right?
12:09They're calling this just another game, and the Warrior chapter is closed, even though
12:14all those things are true, what would you say to a Warrior fan that's like, wait a minute,
12:18like, when is that chapter going to be open again?
12:22The players say that just to temper their emotions, not to get too caught up and too
12:27overhyped, and then you get out of your game, so I try to downplay certain situations just
12:33to remain calm and keep the adrenaline from getting a little too overpowered, so that's
12:38why players say that kind of stuff, just another game, we all know it's just not another
12:41game, it's a special game, and it's a reunion game tonight.
12:44So what do you foresee Klay Thompson and his relationship with Warriors, the Warriors fans,
12:51and the Bay Area, like, what do you foresee that being after he's done playing?
12:56Well, he'll be around, you know, a guy who will show up every now and then, because he's
13:02got to get his number retired, get a statue put outside Chase Center, probably hopefully
13:06a boat will be included in the statue, and Rocco, he'll be around when he retires eventually,
13:13because he's got such a good relationship with the Bay Area fans and the Bay Area itself,
13:18that he considers that part of his home too.
13:21What do you like in this departure too, Michael, is there another player that you can remember
13:26in the time that you've been here, and I was talking to Mark about the list of players
13:30who've won more than four titles and gone on to play elsewhere, and it's a short list,
13:35it's Jordan, it's Pippen, it's Kurt Rambis, it's Derek Fisher, is there any other departure
13:41that you can think about that compares to this one with Klay leaving after 13 years
13:47and four titles?
13:48Well, Scotty Pippen leaving the Bulls, and going back, Tony Parker leaving the Spurs
13:53to go to Charlotte, and then of course going back to San Antonio to play, so this was happening
13:58before many times throughout NBA history, where guys have won multiple titles over a
14:02decade with one franchise, eventually leave and then come back with another team, so this
14:07isn't rare or exceptional.
14:11Michael Thompson, Klay's dad, with us here on 95.7 The Game, Michael, if this were a
14:16perfect world, would tonight be happening a little bit later?
14:22I mean, this departure just happened four months ago.
14:27I mean, yeah, you could build up to it, I guess, and save it until around the All-Star
14:31break or something like that, and really let it build up and build up, but no, I think
14:35it's cool, whatever happened on opening night or a month into the season, it was gonna happen,
14:41so whether now or two months from now, it doesn't matter.
14:45Have you and Klay talked about how to conduct himself tonight, or how to handle it?
14:49I mean, did you recommend that he takes the mic and address the crowd?
14:53What do you think would be the right thing to do for Klay coming back tonight in this
14:57moment?
14:59A knockdown spot, 10 threes, that's all he's gotta do.
15:02That would be the perfect way to tell it to the fans, and of course, I think the Warrior
15:13fans would love that, as long as the Warriors ended up winning the game.
15:16Exactly.
15:17Yeah, I think that is probably the majority opinion.
15:19Did you see Draymond say that he's gonna run through Klay's chest?
15:23Yeah, well, you know, I expected him to say that.
15:26I just hope that when he does it, the Warriors will be in the penalty, so at least Klay gets
15:31a couple of free throws out of it.
15:32Yeah, there you go.
15:33He hasn't missed a free throw yet this year, I think.
15:36That's right, yeah, 100%, so he doesn't shoot that many, but he led the league last year
15:41in free throw percentage, people don't even realize that.
15:45So Michael, I mean, on a more real front, like the on-court interactions between these
15:52three, who have been together forever, you know, their whole careers, what do you expect
15:59that to be like and feel like for them?
16:01Well, they'll be out there giggling and tickling each other as they compete, you know, they'll
16:07be side-eyeing each other, talking a little trash, so that's all part of it, and that's
16:11the way it should be tonight, so you know, Draymond will be talking, you know, and Steph
16:15will be, Steph is kind of a trash talker himself, he's got a little slyer, a little bit of it
16:20on the slide, but there'll be some talking going back and forth between those three tonight.
16:25Hey, Dad, what are your emotions about this tonight?
16:29Yeah, well, you know, it's sad, like I said, I wish he could have stayed a warrior his
16:34whole career, but as long as he plays well, that's all I care about.
16:39And hey, you don't really need a captain's hat, do you?
16:42Like they sent some to you guys, didn't they?
16:46Not yet, I don't have one yet, so they better send me some, because I need it when I cruise
16:50on my yacht in the Bahamas.
16:51There you go, we got a couple of extra, Michael, we can make sure that we send on down your
16:56way.
16:57Send me a text, we'll get you some hats.
16:59Alright.
17:00Michael, thank you, my man.
17:03Okay, guys, I'll be watching from down here, so check, hopefully we'll have a good game
17:09and we'll see what happens.
17:11Oh, and you don't think the Lakers are actually a threat this year in the West, do you?
17:16Of course they are, but six and four, why wouldn't we be?
17:19You could be up two of the top ten players in the game, why wouldn't the Lakers be a
17:22threat?
17:23I think it's because they're holding Bronny down, they need to get him back into the rotation,
17:27Michael.
17:28He couldn't hurt, I like that kid, it reminds me of Gary Payton II.
17:33Can you imagine actually playing in a game with Klay, the same way LeBron and Bronny
17:39did?
17:40Well, I would have to start when I was 18 years old, but by the time Klay was of age,
17:46I was ready for a walker.
17:49Hey, man, all the best to you and the fam, okay, Michael?
17:55Alright, guys, good to talk to you.