What Klay said to Podz in a ‘really cool’ phone call after Warriors exit

What Klay said to Podz in a ‘really cool’ phone call after Warriors exit originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

Klay Thompson is no longer with the Warriors, but Brandin Podziemski has a Splash Brother teammate for life.

Just a few weeks later Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in free agency, Podziemski recalled the veteran’s impact on his rookie season with Golden State in an interview with NBA TV’s Chris Haynes during the Warriors 80-83 Summer League win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in Las Vegas.

“It meant a lot,” Podziemski told Haynes of Thompson’s guidance during the 2023-24 NBA season. “It’s something you can’t just go to Google or YouTube and look up when you get advice from someone like that. And so for me, just appreciating his presence, appreciating everything that he shared with me on and off the court. -court perspective.

“Getting a call from him a few days ago, and him telling me that I will always have a brother in him for the rest of my life, is really cool. We can’t wait to go against him and compete against him when we play Dallas.”

As the Warriors’ first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Podziemski benefited from just one season playing alongside Thompson in Golden State. Thompson’s advice to Podziemski during his first NBA campaign helped him win First Team All-Rookie Honorsand it is clear that the relationship between them remained strong even as the youngster replaced the four-time champion as starter.

Now, the second-year point guard will look to fill the void left by Thompson’s departure, along with the departure of veteran point guard Chris Paul, who joined the San Antonio Spurs on a one-year contract after being released by the Warriors.

And even though they’ve gone from teammates to Western Conference foes, it’s clear that no contract can break the friendship between Podziemski and Thompson.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast