“The Greatest Gift Ever”: Warriors Star Reveals a Special Gift From Kobe Bryant

Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson revealed a gift that he had received from late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Thompson shared photos of Bryant’s book- The Mamba Mentality,- on his Instagram story calling it “the greatest gift” that he has ever received. Bryant had signed the book: “To Klay… Rings Rings Rings Rings.”

The Mamba Mentality is a book, written by Bryant, looking back at the legend’s basketball career. He published it in 2018 when Thompson was already a three-time NBA Champion. The Warriors were looking for their third consecutive title which the Toronto Raptors stopped them from winning.

Klay Thompson has admired Kobe Bryant

Thompson has always shown admiration towards Bryant. When Kobe died in a helicopter crash earlier this year, Thompson shared an emotional post on Instagram remembering the legend.

“No amount of words can express how much Kobe meant to me and my family,” Thompson wrote in the post. “Growing up, he was my favorite player on my favorite team. Like so many of you, it has been hard for me to process what happened and what was lost.”

Thompson said that Bryant’s life is not only an inspiration to basketball players but for all of those who want to achieve something in life.

“There is not a day that goes by I don’t think about you Big Bro. Rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita. Your legacies will live on, not only thru every hooper who love the game, but with anyone who has a dream and the passion to do whatever it takes to make it a reality.”

More recently, Thompson shared another post on Instagram remembering the moment when he met Kobe Bryant as a school kid. It was a photo from his high school days when he attended the Kobe Bryant Nike skills academy. It was, according to Thompson, one of the greatest experiences of his life and was star struck on being with Bryant.

Thompson and Lakers have an affinity in a way that his father Mychal Thompson was a two-time NBA champion playing for purple and gold. There were rumors about Klay moving to the Lakers before he signed an extension with the Warriors in last year.