Klay Thompson hasn’t felt a twinge of nervousness and nausea in nearly 10 years. And in that time, he hasn’t played an NBA game without a Golden State Warriors logo on his person.

This morning, October 11, Vietnam time, Klay Thompson made his debut for the Dallas Mavericks in a preseason friendly and that nervous feeling reappeared.

“ The last time I felt this nervous and excited was my first NBA Finals in my career, Game 1 of the 2015 Finals series,” Klay Thompson shared.

“ The anxiety and the hangover had been there for days. It got to the point where I felt relieved to put on a new uniform, to compete in a new environment. And when the anxiety was gone, it felt great.”

Klay Thompson spent 13 years playing for the Golden State Warriors, contributing to four championships and forming the “Splash Brothers” with Stephen Curry, one of the most dangerous duos in the league.

But leaving those glorious days behind, Thompson decided to say goodbye to the club to become a free agent. From here, he joined the Dallas Mavericks and signed a new long-term contract.

“ I am excited and looking forward to this next chapter in my career. I can’t predict the future, but I believe it will be very special ,” Thompson told reporters.

October 11 was the first time Klay Thompson played in an NBA game outside of the Golden State Warriors. He chose the number 31 for two reasons: one because the familiar number 11 is currently owned by Kyrie Irving, and two to pay tribute to 3-point legend Reggie Miller.

Klay also had a nice gesture towards his predecessor who wore the number 31 jersey in Dallas, former Sixth Man of The Year Jason Terry. This shooter said that Klay Thompson contacted him before choosing the number and the two talked to each other.

“ I gave him only one condition: try to shoot as many 3-pointers as possible for me ,” the former Dallas Mavericks star shared.

The American Airlines Center erupted when Klay Thompson was introduced to the starting lineup for the first time. Fans were excited to see what Klay would do. He had three assists before scoring his first point early in the second half.

The pressure seemed to be relieved after the “clearance” phase, Thompson had two more successful 3-point shots before leaving the field in the middle of the game, giving up playing minutes to the reserve players in the last two rounds.

In 18 minutes on the court, Klay Thompson scored 10 points and 3 assists, shooting 3-5 3PT (3-9 FG) and 1-2 FT.

It is likely that Klay Thompson will continue to be used in the next preseason friendly match, where the Dallas Mavericks will face the LA Clippers on Tuesday morning, October 15.

Update from coach Jason Kidd, Thompson has a minor back strain but will not affect his training and competition schedule at this time.