NBA star predicts Mavericks to start drama-filled rivalry with familiar foe

Jared A’Latorre

Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving / Anadolu/GettyImages

There may be a new rivalry brewing in the NBA next season.

Thanks to the Mavericks signing sharpshooting veteran Klay Thompson this offseason, some are speculating how this move can successfully turn out for Dallas.

But one young star player in the NBA is already predicting popcorn matchups with Dallas against a familiar foe next season.

Chet Holmgren predicts a drama-filled rivalry between Mavs and Warriors next season

Oklahoma City Thunder star center Chet Holmgren weighed in on the Mavericks and their golden move this offseason of signing Klay Thompson as well as the Mavs-Warriors matchup in the NBA Cup.

As a fan of the game, Holmgren predicted that while we would get a great matchup between the Mavericks and Warriors next season, he also predicted that cinema would take place on the basketball court.

"Mavs versus Warriors is going to be great basketball but it's going to be even better reality TV."
Chet Holmgren

Looking at Klay Thompson in a different uniform and number will be strange to begin the season, but Thompson has felt right at home since signing with Dallas. He took his new identity to a new level when he was seen wearing a Dirk Nowitzki jersey while training.

Golden State forward Draymond Green is having a hard time dealing with his buddy leaving after a decade with four championships together on their respective resume.

Holmgren making this bold prediction is saying that once the season gets into full swing, the Warriors players won't care about who they play against, whether it's a former teammate or not. While we don't expect any real bad blood on the court, these will be two teams playing in competitive, emotional ballgames, nonetheless. They battled it out in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, and although both teams are different, a new rivalry could be brewing.

Thompson had the worst year of his career last season but showed shades of his old self coming off the bench for Steve Kerr and the Warriors. People have defended Thompson for claims of being old and washed. He'll be ready for the Mavs next season.

The personalities of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson will meet up against Stephen Curry and Green next season. It's now the Mavericks that are hunting the Warriors, compared to it being the other way around for many previous years.

These matchups are sure to be filled with drama considering Thompson's return and him likely wanting to prove to the Warriors that he is still the same player he once was, and we'll have you covered as this potential new rivalry all unfolds.

Jared A’Latorre

Jared is the Site Expert of Sport DFW, and oversees Dallas sports all the time. He also spent time as a Senior Contributor to The Smoking Cuban, The Landry Hat and Gig Em' Gazette. His work has been featured on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports and MSN. He also covered various sports at Oklahoma State and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Media from Oklahoma State. He's done play-by-play radio broadcasting in North Central Oklahoma and currently does play-by-play radio broadcasting for high school football in North Texas. Jared is also a co-host for Grizzlies Digest, covering the Memphis Grizzlies. In his free time, Jared loves watching sports, spending time with family and friends and watching anything Billy Bob Thornton related.