Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson is hoping to finish his career with at least one more championship in South Beach. He recently joined the Miami Heat after finalizing a contract buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Mychal Thompson tried recruiting his son to LA, but he explained why his son elected to join Miami instead.
Mychal Thompson Explains Why Klay Thompson Chose Heat Over Lakers
Mychal admitted he wanted Klay to join the Lakers, but said his son was convinced Miami was the best fit for one reason.
“I tried to persuade him to come back to LA and come home,” Mychal said. “But playing with Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Bam [Adebayo], and for Pat Riley and [Erik] Spoelstra was just too much to turn down.”
Mychal Thompson says he tried to convince his son Klay to join the Lakers after getting bought out by Dallas, but he was focused on Miami:
“I tried to persuade him to come back to LA and come home. But playing with Giannis, Bam and for Pat Riley and Spoelstra was just too much… https://t.co/VGXnBiY0dD pic.twitter.com/NXOXr0KUkZ
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) August 27, 2026
Mychal won two championships as a member of the Showtime Lakers led by Magic Johnson. Klay was born in Los Angeles while his father was on the team. Mychal certainly wanted the opportunity to share a historic moment with Klay as a father-son duo who played for the same NBA organization.
However, Klay chose another path to potentially finish his career, joining a Heat franchise that has become one of the NBA’s top organizations over the last 20 years. The Heat are hopeful that acquiring the two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo will help them return to the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo and Adebayo are hoping to establish a dynamic duo.
Thompson’s job will be to space the floor for the stars with his excellent 3-point shooting. While Thompson is confident that he can fill the role, he’s coming off the worst shooting season of his career, as he shot a career-low of 38.3% from long range last season.
Tim Hardaway says Klay Thompson is the perfect fit in Miami:
“He fits in perfect. He’s looking at trying to win another championship. He’s going to play a lot better in this system than he did with the Mavericks. — Him and Tim Jr are gonna have more open shots than they did last… pic.twitter.com/Ow1A3b26qS
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) August 27, 2026
Thompson is eager to show that he can still contribute at a high level, and he left nearly $10 million on the table to leave the Mavericks and get this fresh start in Miami.
The Heat have an established culture, which attracted Thompson. Riley sets the standard, demanding excellence from every member of the organization, and Spoelstra is widely considered one of the NBA’s greatest coaches.
