“Kevin Love Was Our Shohei Ohtani”: Klay Thompson Likens Former ‘Little League’ Teammate to $50,000,000 MLB Superstar

Nithin Joseph | 08/08/2023
“Kevin Love Was Our Shohei Ohtani”: Klay Thompson Likens Former ‘Little League’ Teammate to $50,000,000 MLB Superstar

One must think a player like Klay Thompson, to be devoted to the game of basketball only, given the fact how hard he has worked to get where he is now. However, that’s not the case. The Golden State Warriors loved playing baseball as a kid and even featured in a few Little League games. In fact, as he revealed on Podcast P with Paul George one of his teammates was none other than Kevin Love. Whom, he likened to the generational $50,000,000 MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani is considered by many to be a unicorn in Major League Baseball. Hailing from Japan, Ohtani was dubbed with the nickname “Shotime” and currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels. Both a pitcher and a designated hitter, his game is so good, that some have even claimed he rivals Babe Ruth as an all-time great.

Klay Thompson claims Kevin Love was the Shohei Ohtani of Little League Baseball

Over the years, Klay Thompson has had the pleasure of playing with some great athletes. But, this is true outside of the basketball court as well. Growing up in Los Angeles, Klay played a variety of different sports, including baseball. And, one of the incredible athletes he played with as a kid was Kevin Love.

Although the two would eventually face each other in the NBA, the two were actually on the same Little League team. When the Warriors star was 11 years old, he was in awe of Love’s baseball prowess. In fact, he even compared him to MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani 22 years later.

Speaking to Paul George on his podcast, Thompson revealed how the Miami Heat star played like Ohtani. He batted third, could pitch, strike out batters, and even hit home runs like it was nothing. They nearly made it to the Little League World Series but fell short at the State Championship Game. Something that still haunts the Splash Brother to this day.

“I grew up playing with Kevin Love. Kevin Love was like our Shohei Ohtani. He batted third, he pitched, he could strike out like 12 guys, and hit two home runs in a Little League game. Almost carried us to a Little League World Series. We lost in the State Championship…that still hurts. When I was 11 years old with K-Love…still hurts. But, Kevin was a beast!”

It’s surprising that Klay still feels bad about something that happened years ago. But, what is most surprising is how multi-talented The Beach Boy is. Just goes to show how athletic NBA superstars are.

Klay once beaned Kevin Love in the face years prior to nearly being traded for him

Klay Thompson and Kevin Love must have made quite the combination on the pitch. But, things were different when they practiced together. In fact, Klay once revealed he pitched a ball right at Love’s face back in the day. This was years before there were rumors the Warriors wanted to trade him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for K-Love’s services.

Safe to say, Thompson is a menace on the basketball court. And, if Kevin Love has anything to say about it, he was an even bigger menace on the baseball pitch when he was a kid.

Post Edited By: Pritam Priyedarshi
Kevin Love Klay Thompson Shohei Ohtani

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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