The Golden State Warriors extended a warm welcome to Klay Thompson upon his return to the Chase Center following his sign-and-trade to the Dallas Mavericks this summer. A tribute video showcased messages from his former teammates, including notable figures such as Steph Curry and Draymond Green. In the video, Curry expressed his admiration, saying, 'It was an honor to play with you for 13 years. I'll always remember every memory we were able to create, as teammates and the Splash Brothers... I hope you get the hero's welcome that you deserve.'

Head coach Steve Kerr, who has been with the organization since Thompson joined in 2014, praised him as 'an icon in this franchise.' During the video tribute, Kerr told Thompson, 'Your statue will be outside Chase one day. Thank you for all the championships and incredible moments. The person you are, the teammate you are, I loved coaching you, and welcome back.' Draymond Green also reflected on the unusual experience of competing against his long-time teammate, stating, 'Welcome back— I never thought I'd be saying those words to Klay. I'm thankful, I'm honored to have been your teammate, to call you a brother... Welcome back home, brother. Well-deserved. Take your flowers, because you earned every single last one of them and some more.'

While the emotional significance of the reunion was clear among his former teammates, Kevon Looney provided a lighter perspective, jokingly saying, 'Good luck. I'm going to foul you.' Thompson had reportedly sought a two-year, $40 million deal from the Warriors, which the team did not fulfill before he explored other opportunities in free agency. Currently, Thompson is averaging 13.8 points per game through ten appearances for the Mavericks. In a recent statement, Thompson mentioned that he did not feel particularly emotional about playing against the Warriors, the franchise where he spent 11 seasons and secured championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. 'It'll be good to see people you grinded with... but to me, it's just another regular season game in November,' Thompson remarked. 'Obviously, there are bigger implications with the NBA Cup. So, that's on our mind and on my mind, is to win that.' For their part, the Warriors planned to commemorate Thompson’s return with a special giveaway and a pregame celebration ahead of the game between the Mavericks and Warriors scheduled for Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET.