Thompson's father, former Trail Blazer Mychal, moved the family to Lake Oswego in 1992, when Klay was age two. The Thompson's remained in Lake Oswego until 2004. Stan Love, Kevin's father, moved the family to Lake Oswego soon after Kevin was born in 1988.
They played on the same Lake Oswego All-Star baseball teams in the fifth and sixth grades (Love is easy to find in the photo; Thompson is bottom left). The team won the state title and nearly earned a berth in the Little League World Series. Love was a dominating pitcher with a fastball that reportedly reached 90-mph by the time he enrolled in high school.