Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson lauds Kobe Bryant; hails him as ‘one of the most intelligent athletes’

Thompson is currently averaging at 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season.

Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On Monday, Jan. 27, the Dallas Mavericks turned around their previous defeat at the hands of the Celtics, and recorded a blowout 130-108 win against the Washington Wizards. The night saw Klay Thompson topping the scoresheet with 23 points, three rebounds and four assists.

It was one of his best games of the season as he finished with 7/12 from shooting from the three-point range in 24 minutes of playing time. Apart from him, Olivier-Maxence Prosper finished with 20 points with five rebounds and one assist. P.J. Washington chipped in 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

For Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly scored 16 points while adding four rebounds and five assists. The team was without Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined with a calf injury.

Thompson and Doncic are avid fans of LA Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a horrific helicopter crash in California in January 2020.

While Thompson has grown up watching the game of the LA Lakers, Doncic has called him one of his biggest inspirations. These Kobe Bryant fanatics teamed up when the Mavericks traded for the former Warriors shooter.

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Following the win over the Wizards, Thompson opened up on his admiration for Kobe and hailed him as one of the “most intelligent athletes”. In the post-game media interaction, he said,

“Kobe was one of the most intelligent athletes to ever grace this earth. He was the ultimate competitor… My memories of Kobe are very fond, especially growing up in Southern California.”

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

“I knew you were gonna be special”- Kyle Thompspn recounts first meeting with Doncic

While recounting his first meeting with Doncic, the 34-year-old said, That’s the first thing I told Luka when we met. I was like, ‘Man I knew you were gonna be special.’”

“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 added.

He also talked about Kobe’s tragic death and said, “I still think about him and Gigi every day… It’s still crazy to think that he’s not here.”

Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gigi Bryant along with seven others were also onboard the helicopter which crashed in Calabasas, leaving no survivors.

Notably, Thompson is currently averaging at 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. On the other hand, Doncic has maintained a brilliant average of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game.

Dallas Mavericks

Klay Thompson

Kobe Bryant

Luka Doncic

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.