The Miami Heat officially welcomed the newest member of their roster, four-time champion Klay Thompson, with an introductory press conference on Tuesday. After several seasons playing for Dallas, the Mavericks negotiated a contract buyout. Thompson cleared waivers this past weekend and signed a two-year deal with the Heat, joining All-Star players Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Thompson was asked his thoughts on getting to play on the same team with the two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo, who also won a championship while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. "His interior scoring is one of the best ever, and his jump shot is greatly improved. Now you can't sag off him like you used to.
He will punish you, and he's just an incredible talent who has a great will to win, and I love being around guys like that who leave it all on the floor and really care about their craft. That's what attracted me too was just I get to play with another MVP-caliber player," Thompson told reporters. More news: Knicks’ Josh Hart Weighs in on LeBron James Joining 76ers Thompson previously spent the bulk of his career as a member of the Golden State Warriors, who built an impressive dynasty centered around him, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green.
They also added Kevin Durant, who was part of two of the team's four championships while Thompson was there. With that, Thompson's been a teammate of Curry and Durant, who won the MVP Award in previous seasons. Now he'll get to see what makes Antetokounmpo so special as a teammate, rather than an opponent.
Antetokounmpo continues to show he's among the best in the league, having averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game last season for the Bucks. He was traded this offseason to the Heat, along with teammate Bobby Portis Jr., bringing immediate excitement about the team. With Thompson now joining the Heat, some believe they're a legitimate contender within the Eastern Conference.
The former Splash Brothers star alongside Curry can provide elite outside shooting for a squad that has two dominant big men in Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. However, they'll still have to contend with several other powerhouse teams in the East, including the reigning champion New York Knicks and the new-look 76ers with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James joining their roster. Nonetheless, Thompson's excitement is clear, as the five-time All-Star and four-time champ seems ready to get the season started in South Beach.
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