Did Klay Thompson Really Suggest Mavericks Display His 4 Championship Rings for Team Motivation? Exploring Viral Tweet

Did Klay Thompson really ask the Mavs to hang his four championship rings as motivation for the team? Find out

By Natasha Bose

Published on Aug 17, 2024 | 04:55 PM IST | 77.9K

Did Klay Thompson Really Ask the Mavericks to Showcase His 4 Rings as Motivation?

No, Klay Thompson didn’t tell the Mavericks coaching staff to display his four championship rings in their locker room as motivation for the team. This claim is completely false. How do we know? Well, we've been tricked by Centel again.

The fake story was posted by NBA Centel, a parody account clearly spoofing NBA Central. This account posts funny and exaggerated NBA news that might sound like it could be real but is purely for entertainment.

So, how did this rumor start? It’s likely a joke based on the fact that Klay Thompson has more championship rings than the Mavericks have as a franchise. The story of Klay Thompson parting ways with the Golden State Warriors was one of the biggest headlines of the NBA offseason. "Game 6 Klay," after 13 years with the Warriors, agreed to a three-team sign-and-trade deal that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks. He signed a three-year, $50 million contract to team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Klay Thompson has won four NBA championships during his career, all with the Warriors. His titles came in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022.

His first championship was the fourth in Golden State’s history. The Warriors defeated LeBron James’ Cavaliers in six games, with Thompson contributing alongside his "Splash Brother" by averaging 15.8 points per game. Even though he shot just 40.9 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range, he still provided the crucial support needed for the win.

Klay Thompson’s next two titles also came against the Cavaliers. In 2017, he averaged 16.4 points per game with 42.5 percent shooting from deep, and in 2018, he followed up by averaging 16.0 points on 42.9 percent three-point shooting as the Warriors swept Cleveland.

The Mavericks' previous appearances, on the other hand, both against the Miami Heat, resulted in one championship.

Dallas claimed their only Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2011. Led by Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2 assists, Rick Carlisle’s squad twice came from behind in the series, ultimately clinching a 4-2 victory with three consecutive wins in Games 4, 5, and 6. They sealed the championship with a 105-95 win in front of their home crowd.

At the time, Nowitzki became only the second European player to receive the Finals MVP award, following France’s Tony Parker in 2007. Since then, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021) and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic (2023) have joined this elite group.

In the Mavericks’ only other NBA Finals appearance, the series was also decided in six games, but this time it was the Heat who prevailed. Despite Dallas winning Games 1 and 2, Miami, led by Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, fought back with four consecutive victories to secure the first of their three NBA titles.