Mavericks star Klay Thompson responds to Warriors tribute after his Bay Area return

Klay Thompson is back on the court but not in the Golden State Warriors jersey. The veteran NBA star has joined the Dallas Mavericks. Interestingly, his first game after his return was with his former team. The Warriors honored him to celebrate his return in a tribute video which made the new Mavs star quite emotional. In a post-match conference, Thompson spoke about his emotional rollercoaster moment.Klay Thompson was seen trying to maintain his composure as he stood on the Chase Center court watching the Warriors’ tribute video honoring his return. The crowd’s standing ovation moved him. Of course, it would’ve been harder if Steph Curry had given the planned speech. To avoid this, Thompson had texted Curry the night before urging him to skip the speech. Still, the response and warm welcome upon his return was grandeur.Thompson’s Dallas Mavericks' failed to secure the win against his former team losing the game at 120-117 but his return was certainly glorious as he felt everyone’s support in his heart. In a post-match conference, he shared his experience of the moment. “I appreciate the fans very much. The captain's hat ended up being a great touch because I'm such a passionate boater. Saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, and that was a warm-hearted feeling,” Thompson said. “It was really cool to see the fans, their gratitude towards myself -- and something I'll never take for granted. So it was very, very awesome,” he added in the emotional response.After the match, Thomson told ESPN that he was prepared for the moment. "I was prepared for it," he said. "I didn't want to cry," he added. Of course, he tried hard not to cry but the emotion on his face was clearly visible.Also Read: Kyrie Irving makes heartfelt promise to Klay Thompson ahead of emotional Bay Area returnStephen Curry led the Warriors to a narrow 120-117 win. He scored 37 points on 14-of-27 shooting, including 5-for-12 from beyond the arc. He also contributed nine assists and sank a crucial three-pointer to clinch the game. In his Bay Area return, Thompson shined with 22 points, tying his season high and hitting six threes on 41.2% shooting. Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to add 16 points and five rebounds. The victory improved the Warriors to 9-2, while the Mavericks dropped to 5-6.