Dallas Mavericks to kick off new season at home Thursday
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks begin their quest to win the NBA Championship on Thursday night at the American Airlines Center.
The Mavs will take on their in-state rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, for their season opener.
Head Coach Jason Kidd said the team is healthy and ready for the new season.
And with superstars like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and now Klay Thompson, it’s time for a championship.
Luka Doncic cleared to play for Dallas season opener
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is ready for Thursday night’s season opener at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
Dallas made it to the NBA Finals last year before losing to the Boston Celtics in five games.
Game night emcee Chris Arnold said fans can start the new season feeling good about this team and ready for redemption.
"It’s so exciting. There’s so much hope. I call it ‘hope-in,’ and it’s in every fan’s veins because this season is going to be so exciting because of what happened last year – that surprising run to the Finals. But more importantly, you’ve got a team that everybody believes in because you’ve added a veteran legend. We’re talking about Clay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors and now a Dallas Maverick," Arnold said.
This is the first time in Thompson's 14-year career that he will open a season with a team other than the Warriors.
Last year was an off year for him, averaging 17.9 points while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. But he said back on media day that he feels like this is a fresh start and that he has a lot to prove.
Klay Thompson hopes to help Dallas Mavericks reach the next level
Five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson hopes to play a complementary role this season while helping to get the Dallas Mavericks to the next level.
Doncic and Irving have certainly welcomed him with open arms.
"We got to know each other just last week when I was practicing. You know, it's going to be fun out there," Doncic said.
"We're in a great place right now. I think a lot of us are motivated. We're focused. We're driven. We have our priorities straight, and we're just ready for another long journey," Irving said. "I think the most important thing for us is just remaining healthy and doing everything that we can on the off days to better prepare for our opponents and also ramping up our film and our communication."
The Mavs and the Spurs tip off Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the AAC.