Steve Kerr opened up for the first time since Klay Thompson‘s departure to the Mavericks. Golden State Warriors head coach, in his usual way, spilled all his emotions. As Kerr, who is currently in Las Vegas coaching Team USA, made this wholesome statement to the press, a few miles apart in San Francisco, the Dubs pulled out a dirty trick on China Klay at the NBA Summer League.

Interacting with the press, Kerr said, “I just want to say thank you to Klay Thompson for 13 incredible years. 10 of which I was there for. What he did for the team, the organization, for the Bay Area, for me personally, the relationship we had. All the incredible success, but more importantly, we just going through it all together. It has been so meaningful, so beautiful. We’re going to miss Klay. We wish him the best.”

The 58-year-old coach further added, “These things rarely go like you want. To draw it up and executive and everybody goes out together. We were hoping that could happen, but it didn’t. And we wish Klay well. We love him and we’ll miss him.” While Kerr said this, the Dubs’ home hosted the California Classic Summer League and accommodated a set of games tonight. The home side took on the Miami Heat in the opener and cruised past the Florida side with a 66-105 victory.

However, on the other hand, the franchise didn’t hesitate to clear the old Klay Thompson jersey stock at a discount, as they advertised it on the big screen. The #11 jersey in the Dubs Nation was selling for a 50% offer at the team’s official store. Reacting to the act, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin retaliated, “They say that basketball is a business for a reason,” via his X handle.

Did Steve Kerr play a role in Klay Thompson’s exit?

The analysts and insiders brought out various reasons behind the star’s exit. Firstly, they blamed the front office for not satisfying the sharpshooter with an enticing offer. Secondly, it fell on the owner Joe Lacob, as they claimed the star had developed a “strained relationship” after 4x NBA Champion GM Bob Myers’ exit. Nevertheless, several reports even focused on Steve Kerr as well. Especially after his move to send Thompson to the bench and start the game with rookie Brandin Podziemski.

Importantly, it didn’t seem to bother Klay at that point. Speaking of it, he said, “Me and Steve [Kerr] had a good talk about it. You can do two things: you can pout or you can go out there and respond. I thought I did the latter very well tonight… So, you just gotta let the ego go when you think of coming off the bench and all that.”

Eventually, Klay regained his spot in the starting lineup at the latter end of the previous season, averaging about 20 ppg in the last 20 games. While everything seemed to have gone smoothly, something affected the shooting guard, who then escorted himself out of the team.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.