Fit this man for a pair of stirrups immediately. Klay Thompson is a natural on the bump.
The Dallas Mavericks’ swingman trotted out to the pitcher’s mound before Monday night’s 7-2 win for the Texas Rangers over the Oakland Athletics, wearing a batting helmet? But it wasn’t a full-on batting helmet with the C-Flap chin guard like Major Leaguers wear. It was more like the batting helmets that stadium foodservice vendors serve Blue Bell ice cream out of on the Globe Life Field concourse.
The man went
full. John Olerud on us. Never go full Olerud.
Thompson’s ceremonial first pitch painted the corner of the plate, just below waist high and into the waiting mitt of Rangers’ third-base coach Tony Beasley. It may not have been delivered with full-on gas, but Thompson’s pinpoint placement puts him firmly in the ranks of other-sport stars who have stepped up when they receive the call to throw out a first pitch and avoided humiliating themselves in the process.
Rangers’ studio host and analyst Jared Sandler went as far as to call Thompson’s first pitch “one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
Klay’s first pitch was one of the best I’ve ever seen! pic.twitter.com/6nYaOy8kPw
— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) July 22, 2025
Should we have expected anything less from the man who currently sits fifth all-time in 3-pointers made in NBA history? Pinpoint accuracy has, after all, been the overriding theme of Thompson’s career.
The star shooting guard also knows his way around a baseball diamond. Klay once beaned fellow NBA star Kevin Love in a Little League game. His brother, Trayce, puttered around MLB for a few years, including playing parts of four seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Trayce Thompson is currently an outfielders in the Boston Red Sox organization, where he’s hitting .247 with 10 home runs over 37 games for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
In other notable offseason happenings for the notable Maverick, it appears everything’s coming up aces for Klay. Earlier this month, Klay his relationship with rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s made its social media debut earlier this month. Fans guessed that Thompson was the mystery man lounging in the background of a set of bikini pics she posted on Instagram on July 9. Megan posted some of their couples’ workout clips over the weekend.
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So it’s officially official. Klay Thompson is putting together an unparalleled run this offseason, on and off the baseball diamond.
Nothing but respect for the precision with which Klay conducts his business on all fronts.
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