Even though he's a Golden State Warriors legend, there's a big chance Klay Thompson grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers. His father, Mychal, was a role player in the Showtime Lakers, and he still roots for them to this day.
Thompson is no stranger to Staples Center -- now Crypto.com Arena. He grew up attending games at one of the most iconic venues in the sports industry, which obviously means he idolized Kobe Bryant.
In fact, the Splash Brother recently admitted his love and admiration for Kobe, which is why he vowed to have the game of his life when the Warriors arrive in Southern California for Game 3 of this series.
Klay Thompson Wants To Honor Kobe And Gigi Bryant With An Epic Performance
"I have so much respect for just the opportunity ahead for me," Thompson said postgame. "I'm a huge Kobe fan, he's my biggest inspiration and I'm just going to play my hardest to honestly honor him and Gigi because without his play and all those years of me viewing his tenacity on the court, I would not be the athlete I am today."
"I'm going to be myself, I'm going to play hard on both ends, I'm going to hunt great shots," Thompson continued. "From a life standpoint, it's such an incredible experience to play in front of my friends and family."
"I would go to Staples [Center] as a high school basketball player with my pops, just dreaming of playing on that floor, playing against the best in the world. To be here and be a part of it, I don't lose sight of that perspective of how great this opportunity is, and I'm just excited to do it in a building where all my hoop dreams came out," Thompson continued.
Kobe was one of the most influential athletes in NBA history, and his legacy can still be seen league-wide to this day. Thompson is usually the one to back up the talk on the court, and he's one of the streakiest scorers on Earth, so the Lakers better get ready for him.
