This past Sunday marked five years since the tragic passing of Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash. The loss continues to resonate deeply across the NBA, as most of today’s stars grew up idolizing Bryant. Klay Thompson, whose father Mychal is also a Lakers legend, was no exception. Kobe was one of Thompson’s basketball heroes.
Following the Dallas Mavericks’ win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, Thompson was asked about Bryant during his postgame press conference. He shared his heartfelt thoughts.
“Kobe was one of the most intelligent athletes to ever grace this earth,” Thompson began. “He was the ultimate competitor. My memories of Kobe are very fond, especially growing up in Southern California for high school… I think about him and Gigi [Kobe’s daughter who also died in the crash] every day. Ask anybody who was born around the time I was, and he was like our Michael Jordan. His style of play, his influence on the game on a global scale is something that’s probably only second to Michael. It’s still crazy to think he’s not here.”
Klay Thompson Reveals How He Knew Luka Dončić Was ‘Special’
Thompson went on to share a story about when he first realized Luka Dončić was destined to be an elite NBA player.
“That’s actually funny, 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.’ Kobe doesn’t just give that love to those who don’t earn it.”
Thompson referred to a moment during Dončić’s second NBA season when the Mavericks played in Los Angeles. Dončić, preparing to inbound the ball, heard someone trash-talking him in Slovenian from the sideline. Turning around, he saw it was Kobe Bryant, sitting courtside with his daughter Gigi.
Dončić later recalled the moment: “He was talking Slovenian, so I was like, ‘Who’s talking my language?’ And I saw Kobe, and I was really surprised.” That unforgettable interaction occurred less than a month before Bryant’s untimely death.
