SAN FRANCISCO – At 4:19 p.m., Klay Thompson walked into the Chase Center with his teammates and encountered about 400 Warriors employees forming a tunnel and wearing captain hats.

Thompson had downplayed the significance of the night, saying his first game against the team he spent the first 13 years of his career with was just another game. But that’s when it hit him when cameras flashed in his face. He folded his hands together in a sign of gratitude.

“To be someone who puts up four banners and does it in a way that captures the hearts of the fans,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “It’s not just about the skill with Klay, it’s not just about the dedication to the organization, the competitive desire. There’s just something, there’s an aura around him that immediately connected our fans to him. That’s what it takes. That’s quite rare, when someone does all that and has such an impact as Klay does.’

About three hours later the real party started.

A sold-out Chase Center crowd, all wearing white captain hats, erupted when the Warriors’ announcer pulled Thompson. They saluted their hats after a 45-second video montage played, ending with a “Thanks, Klay” message. The players and coaches of both the Warriors and Mavericks craned their necks to watch the tribute.

When it ended, Thompson, the four-time champion and Bay Area legend, felt the love. Warriors fans gave a raucous standing ovation for at least a minute.

Never one to hide his emotions, Thompson took a moment for himself in the far corner of the Chase Center court. He clapped his hands above his head to thank the crowd and threw a left-handed fist pump.

Steph Curry planned to take the microphone and address the crowd, but he and Thompson talked about it Monday night and decided it wouldn’t be necessary.

Thompson was at the center of several emotional nights in Warriors history. Perhaps most memorable was when he returned to the court in 2022 after missing 941 days due to injuries.

“That was a welcome return,” Kerr said. “We knew there were many good times ahead. In fact, six months later there was a championship. This one is clearly more of a farewell. The first time we see him… It will feel very strange, but it will be a different atmosphere, I think. It’s more of a thank you and a farewell.”

Andre Iguodala, Festus Ezeli and Zaza Pachulia were among Thompson’s former teammates on hand to say goodbye. They were present with some of the more than 18,000 people in the building to shower Thompson with appreciation.

Thompson left the Warriors this summer to seek a fresh start with the Mavericks, who won the West last year. Although he performed well for the Warriors after returning from career-threatening injuries – helping win the 2022 title and leading the league in 3s the following year – Thompson was not the same player he was before his Achilles and ACL injuries and had to to deal with that mentally.