Klay Thompson's decision to sign with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent did not get the full approval of his father, former Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Thompson.
“I'm not really in the mood to celebrate right now,” Michael Thompson told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday morning.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Klay Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks on Monday.
Sources say the Lakers were very interesting to Klay Thompson, but the financial savings of living in Texas rather than California and the fact that the Mavericks were three wins away from an NBA championship were major factors in his decision.
“Because, obviously, it's Clay's decision and it's his life,” Michael Thompson said on the radio show. “He's a 34-year-old adult and we were 34 years old once. Our dad gave us advice and we choose our own path and that's OK, that's life.”
“… I'm really disappointed. As you can imagine, I was hoping he'd join the Lakers. And it was a close call. It came down to between the Lakers and the Mavs and the Mavs won. But you know me, I was hoping and praying that he'd finish his career with the Lakers.”
Michael Thompson played for the “Showtime” Lakers from 1987 to 1991, winning two NBA championships during that time.
“When he said the Lakers were talking to him or were going to talk to him, I, of course, tried to sell myself on playing for the Lakers,” said Michael Thompson, radio commentator for Lakers games. “Obviously, it's the right thing for me to do, the appropriate thing to do, and I really believe in this franchise, so I thought it was the right thing for me to do.”
“This franchise has been so good to me and my family, including Klay. He grew up a Lakers fan. Like most of the players and kids his age, he grew up worshiping Kobe Bryant. So it just seemed like a perfect fit for him to finally come back to his hometown.”
Klay Thompson won four NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, but his role fluctuated throughout last season, including being benched in late February.
He averaged 17.9 points last season, his lowest mark since 2012-13.
“We always talked about him playing for the Lakers,” Michael Thompson said. “If it wasn't the Golden State Warriors, where would he want to play? And of course, he's a Kobe fan, so he wanted to play for the Lakers.”
“But he had an opportunity. And when that opportunity came up, he chose the Mavericks instead. I accept that. I'm happy that he's happy with his decision. But, of course, I tried to push him for the Lakers.”
ESPN's Kendra Andrews contributed to this report.
