Klay Thompson's father, Mychal, was born in the Bahamas before being recruited to play college basketball in the United States as a teenager. His older brother, Mychel, played several years with the Bahamian national team, for which he's currently an assistant coach.
Who will sit in the Bahamas' head-coaching seat early next summer as the team vies for its first ever Olympic berth? Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco, who's worked closely with Klay Thompson in the Bay for over a decade.
Needless to say, Klay's ties to the beautiful West Indies island and its national basketball program run very, very deep. Asked if his son might shed his USA eligibility to suit up for the Bahamas in 2024, Mychal Thompson pointedly allowed for that possibility.
“We'll see,” he told NBA insider Marc Stein.
Klay Thompson has won three gold medals with Team USA in international play, most recently alongside Draymond Green at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He made his pro debut with USA Basketball at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, five years after initially wearing red, white and blue at the U-19 World Championships between his freshman and sophomore years at Washington State.
Thompson would be barred from any future competition with the Americans if he elects to exercise his Bahamian eligibility next year. It's easy to assume his time with USA Basketball has past given Thompson's age and history of serious injury, but Steve Kerr's status as head coach for the 2024 Olympics, plus Stephen Curry's related desire to play in Paris, no doubt inflates his candidacy. You certainly can't have too much reliable outside shooting in FIBA play either way.
But Thompson's clearest and perhaps most rewarding path to further international stardom would likely come with the upstart Bahamians, coming off their most successful pre-Olympic qualifying tournament ever. A core of Thompson, Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton would give the Bahamians a real chance to emerge from the final qualifying tournament into the 2024 Olympics, a truly historic accomplishment for an island country with less than 500,000 people.
Go ahead and read too much into Mychal Thompson's intentionally vague comments. Re-secured contractual status with the Dubs and optimal health provided, don't be surprised if Klay Thompson takes his talents to the Bahamian national team next year.
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