LOS ANGELES — Classes seemed painfully long to Klay Thompson on days the Los Angeles Lakers had home games because the eighth grader knew what awaited after that final bell rang: rides to Staples Center with his father, Lakers radio analyst Mychal Thompson.
Before the crowds arrived and players began their warm-up routines, Klay and his two brothers, Mychel and Trayce, heaved shots as Mychal rebounded. Those pregame sessions were Klay’s introduction to an arena that has served as a sort of mile-marker for his basketball odyssey.
It is where he long watched his idol, Kobe Bryant; played in three Pac-12 tournaments with Washington State, and, in December, saw Bryant’s No.