Klay Thompson Apr 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had a kind parting message for NBA great Klay Thompson.

Thompson exited the Warriors this offseason and joined the Dallas Mavericks. Klay’s maneuver east to Dallas means that an incredible era of basketball in the Bay Area has officially ended.

With Thompson, the Warriors won four NBA championships from 2015 to 2022. They were one of the most dominant teams of all time and had one of the most dominant runs of any team in any sport. Klay was an integral part of that as one-half of the famed Splash Bros with teammate Stephen Curry.

Thompson and the Warriors warmly said goodbye to each other this past weekend. Kerr also had kind words for Klay on his way out, suggesting he’ll be immortalized outside of Chase Center someday.

“The memories endure. Klay’s gonna have a statue outside Chase someday,” Kerr said. “He’ll be beloved by his teammates and coaches and our fans forever. It’s never easy, but it’s all going to work out for him.”

The sports world appeared to agree in unison with Kerr’s foresight.

[Warriors on NBCS]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022