A Worn-Out Klay Thompson Lights Up Talking About His Brothers

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By the time WBN caught him at Fanatics Fest, Klay Thompson looked like a man who’d signed his name a few hundred times too many — the autograph-line stare, the polite autopilot. Then came a question he didn’t see coming, and the whole thing changed.

“Can I ask you one question?” Thompson braced. You could watch him do the math — here we go. Then WBN told him: your multi-sport family, your brother Trayce, the big leagues.

The fatigue fell off his face. “Oh, that’s a good question,” he said, and he meant it.

What followed was pure gratitude, aimed at both his brothers. Klay credited older brother Mychel, who played pro basketball and reached the NBA with Cleveland, and MLB outfielder Trayce, with a grin. “That’s why I’m able to live the life I did as a pro athlete, ’cause my brother’s beat me up my whole upbringing,” he said. “I’m very proud of both men. Both played in the professional ranks.”

Watching Trayce’s baseball career, in particular, wasn’t a footnote to Klay’s own — it was a highlight. “To see him play for so many different ball clubs and hit major league home runs and hit walk-offs was some of the best times of my life.”

No hot take. No drama. Just a four-time champion who, at the end of a long day, still lit up talking about his little brother’s home runs — which is the better story anyway.

A family of pros

Dad Mychal Thompson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft and a two-time champion with the Lakers. Older brother Mychel played pro basketball and reached the NBA with Cleveland. Younger brother Trayce spent parts of several seasons in the majors as an outfielder, including with the Dodgers and White Sox. Klay, a four-time NBA champion himself, is the most decorated of the sons — but as he tells it, he’s the one who got “beat up” into shape by the other two.

FILE – In this Feb. 23, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trayce Thompson steals second during the team’s spring training baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz.T he Dodgers have cut Thompson, the brother of Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson. Thompson was competing for a spot in a crowded Los Angeles outfield that includes Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Joc Pederson and Andrew Toles. Thompson was designated for assignment by the defending NL champions to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Cory Mazzoni, who was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors signs autographs for fans while watching a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Los Angeles. Thompson is the brother of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trayce Thompson. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oakland Athletics president Dave Kaval, left, laughs with Golden State Warriors basketball player Klay Thompson before Thompson threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Monday, July 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Musician E-40, left, gestures next to Golden State Warriors basketball player Klay Thompson during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)