Klay Thompson had a debut to remember for the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 22 points in a 120-109 win against the San Antonio Spurs.
The 34-year-old moved to Texas last summer after 13 years with the Golden State Warriors.
The move was seen as a signal that the four-time NBA Championship winner was beyond his best.
But Thompson underlined his enduring quality with 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in just 26 minutes.
Eighteen of Thompson’s 22 points came from three-point shots, which is a record for a player on their debut for the Mavericks.
“Great debut,” Thompson said.
“It’s only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way.
“I had a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often.”
The game was the first time that Thompson has played competitively with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who said he was “rusty” after missing large parts of pre-season.
Doncic said of Thompson: “It’s easy to play with a guy like that. It makes your life easier. You got to find him.”
Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics made it two wins from two with a 122-102 victory against the Washington Wizards.
The Minnesota Timberwolves narrowly beat the Sacramento Kings 117-115, while the Denver Nuggets lost 102-87 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
BBC