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“I was the 11th pick in the 2011 class, took me 11 dribbles to get 60, K is the 11th letter in alphabet”: When Klay Thompson revealed how auspicious #11 was to wear it on his jersey

Advait Jajodia
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“I was the 11th pick in the 2011 class, took me 11 dribbles to get 60, K is the 11th letter in alphabet”: When Klay Thompson revealed how auspicious #11 was to wear it on his jersey

Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson is one of the most popular players in the NBA who wears the jersey number 11 on his kit.

Klay Thompson is adored by the fans in the Bay Area. For the past decade, the “Splash Brother” has been entertaining millions of basketball enthusiasts from around the globe. And today, it is not very uncommon to find spectators have a jersey number 11 kit on.

Before entering the league in 2011, the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter wore the number 1 during his high school days and the 3 years he was at the Washington State University. Unfortunately for Thompson, then-6-year vet Dorell Wright already had the number with him.

Also Read: Jaylen Brown reveals why he chose to wear the “spiritual number” on his jersey

During his draft day, when talking to a staff from the Warriors front office, Thompson had initially asked for the number 21, before giving it a few days’ thought and switching to the number 11.

“11 is a special number in my life”: Klay Thompson

As Klay says, he has been surrounded by the number 11 all his life. He was the 11th pick of the ’11 Draft Class, K is the 11th letter in the English alphabet, his childhood house was the 11th house on the 11th lane, and he even took 11 dribbles to reach his famous 60-point performance.

A few years back, during a promotion for the brand Anta, the 5-time All-Star answered a fan who asked him the significance behind the number 11.

“So I was a draftee of the 2011 Draft Class, I was the 11th pick,” Thompson said. “It took me 11 dribbles to get to 60 points. K is the 11th letter in the English alphabet. The house I grew up in California is the 11th house on 11th lane. So it’s a special number in my life.”

Also Read: When Jayson Tatum revealed how Agent Zero was the inspiration behind his jersey number

It’s pretty safe to say that the #11 has been very kind to him. Thompson is already a 5-time All-Star, 2-time All-NBA, 1-time All-Defensive, and 3-time champ. And he’ll definitely hope to add another ring to his stacked resume after defeating the Boston Celtics in the ongoing NBA Finals.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,450+ articles.

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