Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Warriors teammates reuniting with Mavericks

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Dallas Mavericks point guard D'Angelo Russell is going into his first season with the team, where he is excited to play once again with Klay Thompson.

Russell and Thompson were teammates with the Golden State Warriors for a brief time in the 2019-20 season before a trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins took place. Russell shared his excitement on The Backyard Podcast about playing with Thompson again.

“I got to cross paths with Klay in Golden State. He was coming off injury, so I didn’t really get to see him. He was like Batman—he was only around when the symbol came out,” Russell said h/t Dallas Hoops Journal reporter Grant Afseth.

“So I didn’t really get to cross paths. But being around him now and seeing his energy and how contagious it is for a group that may lack energy or may lack anything—he fills that hole up, you know. And it’s really cool to be around somebody like that.”

Russell, Thompson reunited in Dallas

Russell also mentioned that Thompson hosted him for some workouts earlier this offseason to help ramp up for the start of the season.

“Vet camp—some of the best vets on the team that current year, gather all the players, few coaching staff, few training members, and they host usually in their backyard,” Russell said h/t Afseth. “Klay hosted us at his place—I don’t know if I’m exposing his location—but he was in California.

“He had us there, we trained at a few facilities, we played all day, we hooped, got to golf a little bit… set up a few nice dinners. He just had a bunch of the guys out, and it was—it was kind of weathering the storm of what’s about to happen.”

Russell, Thompson and the Mavs are just around the corner from the start of training camp before the preseason opener on Oct. 6.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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