Even NBA stars need a break from time to time, and Klay Thompson had one Thursday night as he rested during the Warriors' game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
But two young fans and one passionate father in attendance at Moda Center were left distraught when they realized Thompson would be on the bench, left to cheer on the Splash Brother's teammates as they wore his No. 1 Washington State jersey.
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Joe Walker of Spokane, Wash., told NBC Sports Bay Area that he bought the Warriors-Blazers tickets for his sons, Gus and Mac, back in November as a Christmas present. Thompson is the boys' favorite player, and the Walker trio all are "huge" Washington State fans.
When Warriors senior vice president of communications Raymond Ridder got wind of the Walker family's predicament, he reached out to Joe Walker on X, formerly known as Twitter, right away.
What is seat location?
— Raymond Ridder (@DoubleR_PR) April 12, 2024
Golden State Warriors
What followed was pure magic, as Thompson and several other Warriors teammates made it up to the young fans by meeting them after the 100-92 win over the Blazers.
— 509-332-1111 (@gocougs77) April 12, 2024
— 509-332-1111 (@gocougs77) April 12, 2024
— 509-332-1111 (@gocougs77) April 12, 2024
— 509-332-1111 (@gocougs77) April 12, 2024
After all was said and done, Joe Walker made sure Dub Nation knew Ridder was the one to thank.
What started out as a disappointing night for the Walker family ended in pure joy as they not only met their favorite player but an entire Golden State squad more than eager to give them a memorable experience.
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