Warriors honor Klay Thompson in his first appearance back at the Chase Center with the Mavericks

Klay Thompson returned to the Bay Area on Tuesday night for the first time since leaving the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson and the Mavericks arrived at the Chase Center in San Francisco for their NBA Cup opener on Tuesday, and Thompson quickly received a massive reception from fans both inside the arena and from those waiting outside when he arrived.

The game was dubbed “Salute Captain Klay” night, and fans received a white captain’s hat with a Warriors logo on it in honor of Thompson — who used to take a boat to games when he played for the Warriors. The team also played a tribute video prior to the game and gave Thompson a standing ovation on the field.

Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks last season. That officially ended his incredible run with the Warriors, which produced four championships over an eight-season span. The Warriors selected Thompson with the 11th overall pick in 2011 out of Washington State, and he quickly became both a fan favorite in the Bay Area and a critical part of the Warriors’ dynasty along with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as other pieces came and went.

While he said he still appreciates the run he went on in Golden State to jumpstart his career in the league, Thompson is simply focused on putting it behind him for now.

Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season in Golden State, his worst in more than a decade. He shot worse than 40% from behind the arc for just the second time in his career. Thompson left the Warriors sixth in team history in total points scored, fourth in games played and second to Stephen Curry in 3-pointers made. He also holds the NBA record with 14 made 3-pointers in a single game, which he set with the Warriors in 2018.

The 34-year-old entered Tuesday’s game averaging 13.8 points and 3.7 rebounds on 2.9 made 3-pointers per game so far this season in Dallas. The Mavericks were 5-5 entering Tuesday.

While players don’t always get a warm reception on their first few trips back to their old arenas, Thompson is clearly still in a good spot with the Warriors’ fan base.