SAN FRANCISCO -- His shooting stroke was soft, almost poetic, gleaned from bloodlines steeped in basketball. He spent his adolescence in Southern California, with sandy beaches in one direction and the bright lights of Hollywood in the other.
These concerns, and anxieties typical of the recruiting trail, led to more than a few nervous folks at Washington State University in 2008. They were reaching high and not at all certain of making the grab.
Could they really persuade Klay Thompson to come to Pullman?
Would the teenage son of three-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson leave the comforts of SoCal for the southeastern Washington city, where winters are harsh, there is no beach and one could drive for miles without seeing humanity or even a home?