Vanessa Bryant thanks Klay Thompson for his support after his ESPY speech
Vanessa Bryant called Klay Thompson a ‘class act’ after the Warriors star received the Best Returning Athlete award at the ESPYs on Wednesday – and credited Kobe Bryant’s influence for helping him throughout his recovery for a torn ACL and a torn right achilles.
In his acceptance speech, Thompson – who recalled reading Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ book throughout rehab – said he was thinking of the late Lakers star and his daughter and to that of Vanessa, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, “every day”.
The Lakers legend and his teenage daughter Gianna perished in a fatal helicopter crash in Southern California in January 2020 that also killed seven other people.
On Thursday, Vanessa shared a clip from Thompson’s speech on her Instagram page, congratulating the four-time NBA champion on winning the ESPY award.
“Thank you for your support and love for Kobe, my Gigi and our family. Please always include my Gigi when you think of Kob,” Vanessa wrote.
During his speech, Thompson recalled accompanying his father, Mychal Thompson, to the Staples Center [now Crypto.com Arena]where he was a commentator for the Lakers from 1987 to 1991.
“The best memories I have of growing up here in Southern California are at Staples [Center] with my dad. I had a privileged life. He was a commentator for the Lakers, and I would go to every game early just to watch Kobe do his thing,” Thompson said.
“Finally, I would like to thank the Bryant family because, I don’t know if Vanessa is looking over there, but Vanessa and her three beautiful daughters, we think of Kobe and Gigi every day. I’ve read ‘Mamba Mentality’ every day in rehab. It’s been the best memories of my life watching him play. He inspired me to be the athlete I am today.
Thompson returned to full strength last season to help the Warriors win their fourth title in eight years after suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and a torn right Achilles in November 2020. The injuries consecutive continued the exclusion from competitions for two years.
It’s unclear if Vanessa was in attendance for the 2022 ESPY Awards. On Monday, she shared on Instagram that she took her daughters Natalia, 19, Bianka, 5, and Capri, 3, to Italy to visit the home of childhood of their father in the city of Reggio Calabria.
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