'Stuck in the mud' Klay Thompson turns to Kobe Bryant's wisdom with Michael Jordan in powerful message

Dallas Mavericks forward Klay Thompson left the Golden State Warriors after a trophy-laden career in the Bay Area. His first year in Dallas didn’t go exactly as planned, as the Mavs lost star guard Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers and were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

Klay Thompson, reminiscing on his time in Dallas, took to Instagram on Monday to drop a message, inspired by the late Kobe Bryant.

“When u feel like u stuck in the mud, ask yourself what would mamba do.”

Klay Thompson IG Story/Instagram

The message was written over a vibrant mural painted on the wall of an indoor basketball court. It features Michael Jordan in his classic red Chicago Bulls jersey and Kobe Bryant in a yellow LA Lakers jersey with Jordan depicted reaching out as if to block or challenge Kobe, who is driving toward the basket.

Klay Thompson was a valuable asset to the team, providing mentorship to younger players like Quentin Grimes, who praised his guidance and shooting expertise.

The Mavericks won the 2025 draft lottery making it a historic moment for the team. They've never won the lottery before and had only a 1.8% chance of getting the top pick.

They jumped 10 spots from their original position, which is the biggest leap in lottery history. The Mavericks are expected to draft Cooper Flagg, the 6-foot-9 forward from Duke University who was the consensus player of the year.

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Klay Thompson debuts new hairstyle after first season with Dallas

Klay Thompson debuted a new look after his team's postseason elimination. A Los Angeles-based barber shared a video on social media, showing Thompson's transformation from his previous hairstyle to a shorter, more familiar cut.

The Mavericks were eliminated from the 2024-25 play-in tournament on April 18 with a 120-106 loss to the Grizzlies, where he scored 18 points.

Thompson shot 39.1% from deep and attempted 7.7 3-pointers per game. That was lowest total since he returned from injury in 2021. Although his production was lower than in previous seasons, he was one of the Mavericks' most consistent players.

Thompson has worn shorter hair in the past. He last debuted the look during the Golden State Warriors' back-to-back championship runs in 2017 and 2018. He and fans of the Mavericks will hope that the new look will bring a resurgence next season.