clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NBA Draft 2011: Son Of Gophers Legend Mychal Thompson Selected By Golden State

With the eleventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors took Klay Thompson, a 6'7", 205-pound shooting guard from Washington State University.

Klay Thompson is the son of legendary Golden Gophers' forward Mychal Thompson, who was the number one overall selection in the 1978 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. The elder Thompson was a second-team All-American for the Gophers in 1976-77, and a first-team All-American for the Gophers in 1977-78. In his four-year career with the Gophers, he averaged 20.8 points and 10 rebounds a game. He went on to average 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds a game in a 12-year NBA career that saw him play for the Trail Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The younger Thompson averaged 21.6 points and 5.2 rebounds a game this past season for the Cougars of Washington State, shooting nearly 40% from beyond the three-point line. He helped the Cougars to the semi-finals of the NIT this past season, where the Cougars fell to Wichita State.

Congratulations to the Thompson family on tonight's events.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.