In a heartwarming exchange, NBA star Klay Thompson offered words of encouragement and admiration to rising basketball talent Ryan Knueppel, who recently expressed his aspiration to emulate thompson’s game. The interaction, captured on a podcast, saw Thompson acknowledging Knueppel’s remarkable freshman season and the team’s remarkable run, drawing parallels to the legendary “Fab Five.”
Thompson, reflecting on his own career, shared, “It makes me feel kind of old, but also very appreciative of great young athletes like yourself, who are coming to take over the league and carry on the torch of what we started.” He specifically lauded Knueppel and his teammate cooper Flagg for their “incredible run” as freshmen, calling it “unheard of, really. Some Fab Five stuff.” Thompson concluded his initial remarks by expressing excitement for Knueppel’s future, advising him to “Never lose that confidence that got you here, especially when shooting the basketball.”
Thompson further advised Knueppel to “Enjoy your rookie year as much as you can because it will go by [in the blink of an eye]. Be well, brother.” Knueppel, visibly moved, responded with a simple yet heartfelt, “That’s awesome,” accompanied by a broad smile.
This exchange follows Knueppel’s earlier comments to journalist Kevin O’Connor, where he stated his desire to play like Thompson and revealed that he frequently studies footage of the Mavericks guard, also citing Jimmy Butler as an influence.
When asked what message he would like conveyed to Thompson, Knueppel humorously shared his admiration for Thompson’s “big ball” party, calling it “awesome” and attributing it to thompson’s “cojones.” He also boldly declared Thompson the “best off-ball mover ever,” even ranking him above Stephen Curry. Thompson is expected to appreciate these high praises.
