Steve Kerr’s strange confession about Klay Thompson in a Heat jersey

Steve Kerr still finds it strange to see Klay Thompson in a Heat uniform.

That is the headline as the Golden State Warriors prepare to face the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, both key pieces of Golden State’s championship runs, are now with Miami.

Kerr spoke about the emotional weight of facing former players.

“Those first couple times are really bizarre, and then you get used to it,” Kerr said, via Heat Central.

“And it’s a reminder that most of us in the NBA end up with multiple teams. It’s so rare to play with one team.”

Kerr added: “You end up competing against friends and sometimes even family. But it’ll be great to see both guys… two just incredible contributors to the Warriors’ championships… both Klay [Thompson] and [Wiggins] are wonderful human beings and great teammates, and it’ll be great.”

This is not the first time Kerr has faced Thompson and Wiggins in different uniforms.

Wiggins has been with Miami since the Jimmy Butler trade in 2024.

Thompson spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

But Kerr admitted the feeling never fully goes away.

“It’ll always be a little strange seeing those guys in different uniforms,” he said.

Thompson enters the game with significant momentum.

On Wednesday night, he hit a game-winning three-pointer to lift the Heat to a 117-116 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

KLAY FOR THE WIN, the Miami Heat posted on social media.

Thompson scored 30, 19, and 25 points in his previous three outings.

He is shooting 42.5% from three-point range through eight games with the Heat.

Miami leans heavily on his perimeter scoring.

According to ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly, Thompson said he plans to “soak” up the experience of returning to face his former team.

“The Warriors are playing real well,” Thompson said Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a good challenge… It’s going to be awesome seeing all the guys I grew up with and just going to be a special night. I only get to go there once this season, so I’m going to soak it all up.”

Thompson’s return comes at a time when the Heat are still figuring out how to use him.

Multiple reports have framed this game as the moment Miami is “quickly learning why the Mavericks benched Klay Thompson.”

Thompson struggled in Dallas over two lackluster seasons.

The Mavericks eventually moved him to a bench role.

Now in Miami, Thompson is starting again and producing.

But questions remain about his consistency and fit on a team that already has Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.

Adebayo dropped 35 points in the win over the Clippers.

Herro has been the primary ball-handler.

Thompson’s role is still being defined.

Kerr, for his part, is focused on the Warriors.

Golden State is coming off a 116-113 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

The Warriors are playing well without Thompson.

De’Anthony Melton has stepped into Thompson’s old role as Steph Curry’s backcourt partner.

Melton is shooting 46% from three-point range on 5.1 attempts per game this season.

That is a dramatic increase from the 29.4% he shot last season.

Melton said the lingering effect of Thompson’s departure was real.

“The lingering effect of him? Yeah, they definitely had a great run,” Melton said Wednesday.

“But by the time I was getting here, it was kind of toward the end of it.”

Melton’s shot quality has improved.

Last season, with the Warriors slammed by injuries, he attempted 2.2 pull-up jumpers per game.

This season, that number has been slashed to 1.3 per game.