After leading the Mavericks to a 22-point win against the Wizards, Klay Thompson sat down for the post-game presser. Thompson was asked about his memories of the late, great Kobe Bryant, who passed away five years ago. After detailing what Kobe meant to him, the Mavs forward talked about the moment he knew that Luka Doncic was going to be great.
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In December 2019, Kobe attended a Lakers game against the Mavs. Thompson said that the Lakers legend was there to watch the Slovenian superstar. That was the first time when Thompson realized that Luka was special.
He said that Kobe wouldn’t go out to watch a game for anybody unless it’s someone really special on the floor. At the time, Luka was just a year old in the NBA, but he was making all the right noise. Thompson said, “That’s the first thing I told Luka when we met. I was like man I knew you were gonna be special because he brought Kobe out of the house to go watch him play.”
Klay Thompson on Kobe Bryant:
“Kobe was one of the most intelligent athletes to ever grace this earth…My memories of Kobe are very fond…That’s the first thing I told Luka when we met. I was like man I knew you were gonna be special because he brought Kobe out of the house to… pic.twitter.com/a7ppIigvqi
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 28, 2025
One of the most memorable moments of that game was when Kobe, sitting courtside, was trying to heckle Luka in Slovenian. Thompson said that the late legend must’ve seen something special in him at the time and years later, the world knows it too. The four-time NBA Champion was a huge fan of Kobe and considers him his inspiration in basketball.
He said, “Kobe was one of the most intelligent athletes to ever grace this earth…My memories of Kobe are very fond.” The five-time All-Star said that he always keeps Kobe and Gianna in his thoughts. Kobe was the greatest ever for Thompson and he carries a part of his legacy in him.
Klay Thompson idolized Kobe Bryant
Kobe was a hero for millions of people around the globe. He meant a lot more than that to the kids like Thompson, who grew up around Orange County. When Kobe mentioned him on the list of players who have a Kobe-like killer instinct, Thompson was the happiest person in the world.
“I was just really excited because I just really idolized him growing up, especially growing up down there [in Orange County]. Everything I try to do on a basketball court, I try to emulate him. I just really loved his work ethic and style of play. For him to say that just made me feel really good about myself,” he told FOX Sports.
Thompson knew that it wasn’t in Kobe’s nature to simply hand out compliments to make people feel better. If he praised someone, he meant it.
