Klay Thompson compares Mavericks’ nervousness in preseason debut to 2015 NBA Finals – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Even after winning four NBA championships, Klay Thompson is still nervous about…a preseason game?

After 13 years with the Warriors, the 34-year-old guard played his first game with his new team on Thursday night, playing for the Dallas Mavericks in a 107-102 preseason win over the Utah Jazz at the American Airlines Center.

Thompson revealed to reporters after the game that he was quite nervous about his Mavericks debut after signing a three-year, $50 million contract with them in the offseason.

“I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since the first finals game in 2015,” Thompson said. “It felt so good to just go out there and play and get rid of the nerves. It was a new experience and it’s a natural feeling when you’ve been somewhere for so long and you’re in a new place in a new environment. To conclude, “When I had the uniform on, it felt great.”

Thompson scored 10 points on 3 of 9 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range in 18 minutes played.

“There are a lot of positives for him tonight,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He has some great looks that we all think he’s capable of, but he just never rushes things. He never forces anything. He’s probably turned down some shots that we would encourage him to take, but we trust him to make the right decision.”

Thompson will play a big role for Dallas this season, and after getting over his initial preseason jitters, the five-time NBA All-Star can continue to prepare for the Mavericks’ regular-season opener on October 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.

And then on November 12th, he will return to Chase Center for his first matchup against the Warriors.

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