Mavs Step Back: Klay Thompson Bonds with Dirk Nowitzki; Jason Kidd Disrespect in HC Rankings?
With NBA training camps set to begin in less than two weeks, our Mavs Step Back Podcast is gearing up for what should be an exciting 2024-25 season for the Dallas Mavericks.
On Thursday's episode, we break down the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic with our colleague Lance Roberson, who was in the building covering the event for DallasBasketball.com. Out of all the cool interactions between Nowitzki and other celebrities, one of the biggest takeaways from last weekend is how he and Klay Thompson bonded instantly.
"He has a big heart," Nowtizki said of Thompson. "I texted him a few months ago. I wanted to welcome him to the Mavericks and to the city. After that, I reached out to him to see if he wanted to come out. I didn't know if he knew how to play tennis. I wanted him to come out and get a feel for the community."
After signing with the Mavs in July, Thompson was spotted donning a vintage Nowitzki jersey in an offseason workout to show his respect for the Dallas legend. Last week, Thompson posted a picture on social media showing him studying the Mavs' 2011 NBA Finals squad. Talk about making a great first impression with Mavs fans.
From there, we branch off into a discussion about CBS Sports' latest rankings of all 30 NBA head coaches. Jason Kidd, who has been the head coach of the Mavs for three years now, landed at No. 18 on the list, and we give our extensive thoughts on why that number is disrespectful given his accomplishments.
To wrap up this episode, we talk about the Philadelphia 76ers being approved by the city of Philadelphia for a new arena on Wednesday. This decision came less than a week after a report stated that the 76ers had a real chance of moving to New Jersey.
We know the Mavs want a new arena, likely one that doubles as a resort/casino, according to Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban. Even though the NBA would never let the Mavs leave Dallas, could we see new majority owner and casino tycoon Miriam Adelson pressure the city of Dallas to get what she wants? At the very least, it's an interesting possibility to think about.
