Warriors owner Joe Lacob was one of the first within the organization to hear of Klay Thompson’s decision to leave Golden State.
He was initially disappointed by the news, but soon after, he showed his admiration for the team’s iconic marksman.
Lacob was a guest on the latest episode of The Athletic’s “Hoops Adjacent” podcast, where he discussed Thompson’s departure and what he texted the veteran guard the day after their first phone conversation prior to the start of NBA free agency.
“After he called me and told me he made the decision to move on, this was before free agency, he called me and was very nice about it and explained that he hated to make the call, but he said ‘I just feel like I have to do this,'” Lacob recalled. “Right after that, it was the next day, it was a couple days before free agency, I sent him that video of me bowing down to him and it was just my way of saying that he meant so much to us and so much to this organization and everything that we’ve accomplished as a group and that I still feel that way about him.”
The video Lacob referenced went viral after Thompson scored 41 points and made 11 three-pointers in the Warriors’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, with Golden State’s owner bowing to Thompson in the player tunnel after the game.
Lacob will always consider Thompson a good friend, but when the Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks for the first time during the 2024-25 NBA season, Lacob knows his team won’t make it easy for Thompson.
“I always will, it’s never going to change. I don’t care what people think happened or didn’t happen, he’ll always be welcome in my life, I hope he feels the same way,” Lacob added. “Honestly, it makes me a little sad. I hope we’re friends forever. He’s just going to live in Dallas for a couple years and we’re just going to have to beat the crap out of him. But that’s just the job and I’m sure he feels the same way, that’s the whole league. But he’ll always be welcome in our house.”
With Thompson’s departure still fresh, Lacob and the Warriors will continue to remember the five-time All-Star’s many iconic moments with the organization, but they’ll soon have to face their new Western Conference rival.
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