The Mavericks are Irving's fourth team in his NBA career, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets before being traded to Dallas, so he knows about homecoming games. He's struggled in games at Boston since his departure from there and can help Thompson get through some of the nerves and emotions of a game like this.

November, so NBA games aren’t expected to feel like Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals just yet. But Klay Thompson’s return to Chase Center as a card-carrying member of the Dallas Mavericks was always going to be imbued with an extra dose of emotive weight.