Julie Thompson, Klay’s Mom: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Behind every star athlete, there is almost always a supportive mother.

The same rings true for Klay Thompson. As the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter prepares for the NBA finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he is fortunate enough to have the support of Julie Thompson, a former impressive athlete in her own right who is now the matriarch of an accomplished family of five.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about her.

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1. She Played Volleyball for University of San Francisco

Back when she was Julie Leslie, she attended Ridgefield High School in Washington, where she was a track and volleyball star. She then went to the University of Portland before transferring to the University of San Francisco and dominating as a star setter.

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2. She Married NBA Champion Mychal Thompson in 1987

After setting multiple records at the University of Minnesota, Mychal Thompson was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 1 pick in 1978. He and Julie met at a gym at the University of Portland, and they married in 1987.

Although never quite living up to No. 1 pick status, Mychal was a rock-solid role player for a long time and helped the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers to NBA titles in 1987 and ’88. He remains a popular figure in L.A., serving as the Lakers’ radio color commentator for the last 12 seasons.

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3. She Has 3 Sons

Klay isn’t the only one of those sons who has enjoyed athletic success.

The oldest son, Mychel, played basketball at the University of Pepperdine and recently helped the Santa Cruz Warriors to an NBA D-League championship. The youngest son, Trayce, was a second-round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2009 and now plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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4. She Likes to Stay out of the Spotlight

It probably isn’t easy when you are the mother of a family as successful as the Thompson’s, but Julie prefers to sit back and let her husband and sons receive all of the attention.

“I’m so OK with his dad getting all the attention,” she said. “Can you tell I’m much different from Mychal? I am the humble person in the family, so I don’t like to be interviewed.”

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5. She and Mychal Raised Their Sons Without any Pressure to Play Basketball

So often, parents who once successful athletes will put the pressure on their children to follow in their footsteps. But that wasn’t the case with Mychal and Julie Thompson.

“They never put any sort of pressure on us to play sports,” said Trayce, the youngest. “Completely different from other sports parents we knew, especially in California. I couldn’t ask for better parents.”

The Thompson’s let their kids carve their own paths, and it couldn’t have worked out better. You’ll see one particularly shining example of that during the NBA finals.

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