Klay Thompson among athletes to leave teams where they became stars

One half of the Splash Brothers is now part of the Dallas Mavericks.

Editor’s Picks

After 13 seasons and four championships with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson is joining the Mavericks via a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Warriors selected Thompson with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NBA draft and the guard played a key role in the franchise’s resurgence, alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

The five-time NBA All-Star will now team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Thompson joins a bevy of stars who left the franchise where they rose to fame. Here’s a look at other stars who made news when they left the teams they had been with for 10 seasons or more.

NBA

Michael Jordan

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

When you think about Michael Jordan, it’s almost as if his middle name should be “Chicago Bulls.” MJ was in the NBA for 16 seasons, helping the Bulls to six NBA titles: in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Perhaps the best NBA player of all time, Jordan seemed destined to spend his entire career with the team that drafted him in 1984. Or was he?

First, Jordan retired in October 1993 and had a brief stint in minor league baseball. The hiatus didn’t last long, and the NBA world was relieved when he simply said “I’m back” in a press release in March 1995. After a few more years of glory with the Bulls, Jordan retired for the second time in January 1999.

Jordan could not be away from basketball for long, joining the Washington Wizards’ front office in January 2000. But management wasn’t enough for him either, and he joined the Wizards as a player in September 2001. It was certainly weird seeing him play for two seasons in something other than a red Bulls jersey. Jordan’s final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 — and yup, it was with the Wizards.

Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing with the Seattle Supersonics during a November 2000 game. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty…


Source link : https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28925920/nba-nhl-nfl-wnba-stars-left-iconic-teams

Author : ESPN staff

Publish date : 2024-07-01 19:52:06

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.