Amen Thompson has already established himself as one of the NBA’s most promising young guards, but the Houston Rockets star recently revealed why he never cheered for his hometown team.
The 22-year-old made the All-Defensive First Team in his second season, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks on 55.7 percent shooting.
He showed that toughness again this past spring when the Rockets faced the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game playoff battle.
Thompson went toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry, averaging 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals in the series.
But, while many would assume facing Golden State was a special homecoming for the Bay Area native, Thompson admitted his relationship with the franchise has always been complicated.
“I was a LeBron James fan, I’m not gonna lie,” Thompson said on The Young Man and The Three podcast. “I didn’t dislike the Warriors — I actually liked the Warriors, until they had to start playing LeBron. And then I’m like, ‘Okay, now I hate the Warriors.’”
That perspective echoed what many young fans felt during Golden State’s dynasty years, when three titles in four seasons put the Warriors in constant conflict with LeBron’s Cavaliers. Thompson made clear that his admiration for James left no room for neutrality.
What makes his stance unique is the setting. A Bay Area kid growing up just miles from Oracle Arena chose LeBron over the local dynasty, and now he’s building his own rivalry against them on the floor.
Golden State may no longer be the juggernaut it once was, but the tension between the Warriors and Rockets has new life. For Thompson, it is personal. For Houston fans, it is fuel for the future.
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