Steph Curry is having a hard time absorbing Klay Thompson's Warriors departure, much like every member of Dub Nation.
Curry has said in the past that he can't imagine not playing with Thompson, his Splash Brother for the last 13 NBA seasons.
But when the 2024-25 NBA season tips off in October, Curry won't be flanked by his faithful partner-in-crime.
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While speaking with ESPN's Malika Andrews over the weekend, Curry was asked when he realized something had changed regarding the core group of Warriors -- him, Thompson, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr.
"We talked about it a lot just in the sense of the journey that we've been on," Curry told Andrews. "Obviously, me since [2009], Klay in the 2011 draft, Draymond [in 2012]. And then when Coach came in 2014 and what's happened since, we would have loved to maintain the core and finish out together.
"But we obviously understand the league and things change and having Klay head on to Dallas, it's tough. It's something that I never imagined would be a reality, but you want him to be happy. You want him to be able to enjoy the game of basketball. It does suck losing Klay. There's no two ways around it. So you have to be able to celebrate what we accomplished, but then be able to move on."
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Curry and Thompson developed into arguably the greatest backcourt in NBA history, raining down 3-pointers while helping guide the Warriors to six NBA Finals appearances and four championships.
But after several tough seasons, Thompson decided it was time to move from the Warriors, opting to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract.
Curry and Thompson had a tough phone conversation last week when the latter made his decision to leave, and in the coming months, the two future Hall of Famers likely will have a chance to connect in person for what should be an emotional encounter.
For Curry, he understands this is what Thompson wanted. But that doesn't make the split any easier to stomach.