Klay Thompson Bio
Klay Alexander Thompson is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where he became known as part of the “Splash Brothers” alongside Stephen Curry. Thompson is celebrated for his exceptional skill as a three-point shooter and has won multiple championships in his career. He is a five-time NBA All-Star and has represented the United States in international competition, winning gold medals at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, Thompson plays the shooting guard position. Over his career, he has built a reputation as one of the most accurate long-range shooters in league history while also earning recognition for his defensive work on the perimeter.
Early Life and Background
Klay Alexander Thompson was born on February 8, 1990, in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of Mychal Thompson, the first overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft, and Julie, who played college volleyball at the University of Portland and the University of San Francisco. His family has Bahamian ancestry through his father, and he and his brothers were raised as Catholics.
When Thompson was two years old, his family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon, where he grew up as childhood friends and Little League teammates with future NBA star Kevin Love. At age 14, the family relocated to Ladera Ranch, California, and Thompson later graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2008.
As a senior at Santa Margarita, Thompson averaged 21 points per game and led the team to a 30-5 record and an appearance in the Division III State Championship. During that state finals game, he set a record with seven three-pointers. He was named Division III State Player of the Year, League MVP, first-team Best in the West, and an EA Sports Second Team All-American.
Path to Basketball
Thompson played three seasons of college basketball at Washington State University, where he became one of the most productive scorers in program history. As a freshman, he started all 33 games under coach Tony Bennett, leading the team in three-point and free throw percentage while averaging 12.5 points per game, and was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
In his sophomore season, Thompson led Washington State to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship and was named Most Outstanding Player after scoring a tournament single-game record of 43 points in the final. He was a Pac-10 All-First Team selection and finished the year averaging 19.6 points per game, second in the conference. As a junior, he led the Pac-10 in scoring, earned All-Pac-10 first team honors for the second time, and set a WSU single-season scoring record with 733 points. In the 2011 Pac-10 Tournament, he set tournament records with 43 points and eight three-pointers in a single game.
On January 18, 2020, Washington State retired the No. 1 jersey that Thompson wore in college, making him the second WSU men’s basketball player to receive that honor. Thompson declared for the 2011 NBA draft and was selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors.
Klay Thompson Career
Early Career (2011-2013)
Thompson joined the Golden State Warriors in 2011 and quickly established himself as a perimeter threat. Although he was not selected for the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge, he improved his scoring, rebounding, and playmaking in the games that followed. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the end of his first season.
In his second season, Thompson scored a then-season-high 32 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 29, 2013. He and Stephen Curry combined for 483 three-pointers that season, setting a new NBA record for a duo. Thompson recorded a playoff career-high 34 points against the San Antonio Spurs in May 2013, hitting 8 of 9 three-pointers along with 14 rebounds.
Golden State Warriors Breakthrough (2014-2019)
Thompson and Curry set a new NBA record with 484 combined three-pointers in the 2013-14 season, the duo earning the nickname “Splash Brothers.” On October 31, 2014, Thompson signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with Golden State. The following season, on January 23, 2015, he scored a career-high 52 points with 11 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record with 37 points in a single quarter. He was named a Western Conference All-Star for the first time and helped the Warriors defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the 2015 NBA Championship, ending the franchise’s 40-year title drought.
In the 2015-16 season, Thompson helped the Warriors win a record 73 games, advanced to the NBA Finals, and won the NBA Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. He scored a career-high 60 points in just 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 60 in less than 30 minutes. He helped Golden State win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, earning five All-Star selections and All-NBA Third Team honors in 2015 and 2016.
On October 29, 2018, Thompson set an NBA record with 14 three-pointers in a single game against the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 52 points. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2019. In Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson tore his ACL and missed the next two and a half seasons.
Dallas Mavericks Era (2024-Present)
After 13 seasons with Golden State, Thompson signed with the Dallas Mavericks on July 6, 2024, on a three-year, $50 million contract through a six-team sign-and-trade that also involved the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves, the first such transaction in NBA history. He made his Mavericks debut on October 24, 2024, scoring 22 points with six three-pointers in a 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs, setting a Mavericks franchise record for most three-pointers in a debut game.
On December 25, 2024, Thompson made his 2,561st career three-pointer, passing Reggie Miller for fifth on the NBA’s all-time list. On March 29, 2025, he recorded his 200th three-pointer of the season, joining Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history with at least 10 seasons of 200 or more three-pointers made.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thompson is regarded as one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, with a textbook shooting form and an exceptionally quick release. He is primarily a catch-and-shoot player who thrives on screens and back-cuts, and he is considered a strong perimeter defender thanks to his size at the guard position. His stamina and clutch scoring, especially in Game 6 situations, have earned him the nickname “Game 6 Klay.”
Notable Events and Milestones
Thompson holds NBA records for most three-pointers in a single game (14) and most points in a single quarter (37). He has reached the 2,500-career three-pointer mark, and he is among the league’s all-time leaders in playoff three-pointers. He has represented the United States in international competition, winning gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
Klay Thompson Career Wins
Thompson has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. He is a five-time NBA All-Star (2015-2019), a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree, a one-time All-Defensive Second Team member, and the 2016 NBA Three-Point Contest champion. He has also earned gold medals representing the United States at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the 2016 Olympic Games, and the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
NBA Highlights
Thompson has appeared in six NBA Finals with Golden State, winning four titles. He has scored 60 points in a single game, recorded a 14-three-pointer performance against the Bulls in 2018, and set the record for most points in a single quarter with 37 against the Kings in 2015. In the 2022 playoffs, he helped the Warriors win a fourth title over the Boston Celtics in six games.
Other Wins and Performances
Thompson won gold medals with the United States national team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he contributed as a perimeter scorer for the undefeated American squad.
Klay Thompson Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Thompson is the son of Mychal Thompson, the first overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft and a former No. 1 overall selection by the Portland Trail Blazers, and Julie Thompson, a former college volleyball player. After winning the 2015 NBA Finals, Thompson and his father became the fourth father-son duo to win an NBA title, joining Matt Guokas Sr. and Jr., Rick and Brent Barry, and Bill and Luke Walton. They were joined in 2022 by Gary Payton and Gary Payton II, the latter of whom was Klay’s teammate on the Warriors.
Personal Life
Thompson’s older brother, Mychel, played basketball at Pepperdine University and had a brief NBA stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, while his younger brother, Trayce, became a Major League Baseball player. He is known for his offbeat, dry sense of humor and is an avid chess player who has met former world champion Magnus Carlsen. He is sponsored by Chinese shoe company Anta under a long-term deal signed in 2016. Thompson previously owned an English bulldog named Rocco, who passed away in May 2025. He was in a relationship with actress Laura Harrier from 2018 to early 2020, and in 2025 he began dating rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
2025 Season Performance
In his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson quickly established himself as a key perimeter contributor. He set a franchise record with six three-pointers in his debut against the Spurs and surpassed Reggie Miller on the NBA’s all-time three-point list on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. By late March 2025, he had recorded his 200th three-pointer of the season, joining Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history to reach 200 threes in at least 10 different seasons.
Thompson’s shooting and veteran presence helped stabilize the Mavericks’ backcourt alongside their young core. His ability to space the floor and defend at the guard position remained central to Dallas’s rotation. Continued strong shooting performances positioned him among the league’s active leaders in career three-pointers.
Looking ahead, Thompson is signed with Dallas through the 2026-27 season under a three-year, $50 million contract. As he approaches the later stages of his career, his role as a marksman and floor-spacer is expected to remain a defining element of his game. With multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, Thompson is positioned to continue climbing the NBA’s all-time three-point list while contributing to the Mavericks’ playoff ambitions.