LOS ANGELES — The Miami Heat are off to a disappointing start to the season. They are only 4-6 through 10 games despite having Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
Thompson, who agreed to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks and signed a two-year deal with the Heat this offseason, told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN in Los Angeles that he’s enjoying playing for Miami despite the team’s rough start to the campaign.
“That Heat culture is real,” Thompson said. “I just love the intensity and competitiveness from everyone in this organization. Mr. Riley [Pat Riley], Coach [Erik Spoelstra]. My dad [Mychal Thompson] played for Mr. Riley [with the Lakers], so this is a pretty full-circle moment for us.”
Thompson won four championships and played in six NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors.
The future Hall of Famer knows it’s a long season and that it’s too early for the Heat to panic.
“It’s important for all of us to stay present and not look too far ahead in the season,” Thompson said. “When you have big expectations, you think about the postseason, you think about seeding. I think we just need to really stay week-to-week. That’s the true joy when you build a great team. It’s just the beginning stages, and then you see it gel.”
Thompson Hit Game-Winner vs. Clippers
The Heat got their third win of the season on November 4 against the LA Clippers in Los Angeles.
Thompson, born and raised in LA, hit the game-winning 3 in overtime to help Miami win 117-116.
“I’m just really inspired not only by my performance tonight, but our team’s,” Thompson said after the Heat beat the Clippers. “It was gritty. It wasn’t pretty. But it was nice to gut it out because we’ve been in the mud to start the season.”
Thompson is averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 43.0% from beyond the arc this season. The five-time All-Star turns 37 in February.
The Heat face the Mavericks in Dallas on December 29. It will be intriguing to see what type of reception Thompson gets from Mavericks fans.
Dallas beat Miami on October 26 in South Beach by a final score of 113-109. Thompson had just six points in that game.
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