Klay Thompson's dog, Rocco, recently passed away at 13 years old. NBA fans are aware of how close the two were. In fact, Rocco became almost as famous as Thompson was during his time with the Golden State Warriors. On Friday, Thompson, who is now with the Dallas Mavericks, took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late dog with a heartfelt post.

“I’m gonna miss Rocco a lot, 13 glorious years with my boy,” Thompson wrote. “I know he’s in doggy heaven poppin somebody’s ball. A great dynasty dog he was. Thank you for all the sweet messages ! All dogs go to Heaven!”

Rocco displayed what it meant to be “man's best friend.” The two were often seen together in viral social media posts. Thompson, who is known as “Captain Klay” for his love of sailing on the water in his boat, usually brought Rocco along with him.

Klay Thompson has had Rocco by his side for a significant portion of his NBA career. Rocco became a celebrity in his own right. Mavericks and Warriors fans will unquestionably miss seeing Rocco alongside Thompson.

Article Continues Below
More Dallas Mavericks News
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) controls the ball as Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center
Kyrie Irving responds to Mavericks fan who climbed Mount Everest in his jerseyJulian Ojeda ·
Mavericks Nico Harrison on left. Mavericks PJ Washington shooting a basketball on right. Place a stop sign in the middle.
Why Mavericks’ potential PJ Washington trade would be disasterJoey Mistretta ·
Scottie Scheffler reacts after making his putt on the 14th green during the second round of the Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler has hilarious Mavericks thought at The MemorialKendall Capps ·
Klay Thompson with his dog Rocco.
Klay Thompson’s beloved dog Rocco passes away at 13Kenzo Fukuda ·
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) holds onto the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Mavericks ‘blueprint’ cited for Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga trade strategyJake Faigus ·
Mavericks Rick Welts with the Dallas skyline in background.
Mavericks CEO reveals 1 intriguing element of potential new arenaJoey Mistretta ·

Thompson spent his first season in Dallas with the Mavericks during the 2024-25 campaign. He averaged 14 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per outing. The future Hall of Famer also shot 41.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.

It was a season full of unforeseen circumstances in Dallas (the Luka Doncic trade and no shortage of injury concerns), but the former Warriors star played fairly well for the most part with the Mavs. Thompson ultimately gave his individual season a “B” grade.

If Dallas is able to limit the injuries in 2025-26, the team could make a legitimate postseason run. Klay Thompson is hoping to earn his fifth career championship with the Mavericks, something that could prove to be possible next season.

At the moment, however, the Mavericks star is surely mourning the loss of his beloved dog Rocco.