Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Mayor London Breed chat with students at Hamilton Recreation Center in San Francisco on Thursday, March 30th.
San Francisco Recreation and Park DepartmentFrom chugging beers at Giants-Dodgers games to taking a dip in the bay, Warriors star Klay Thompson has a habit of popping up in notable San Francisco Bay Area locales. But for a few lucky high school and middle school students last week, Thompson’s surprise appearance during a pickup game at a local gym tops the list.
Thompson dropped by the Hamilton Recreation Center on Thursday, shocking the students and adults playing basketball, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
During his visit, Thompson gave out high fives, posed for a photo with San Francisco Mayor London Breed (also in attendance) and even ran drills with some of the young basketball players.
“A few of us at Park and Rec had a little bit of notice (and the mayor) but we kept it under our hats to surprise the neighborhood residents who use Hamilton rec,” wrote San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department spokesperson Tamara Aparton in a text to SFGATE.
Aparton said Thompson’s appearance wasn’t part of any promotion by the city or the Warriors, he just felt like hooping with some local kids. But always the competitor, Thompson couldn’t help draining a bucket over one of the teens in attendance.
“And one!” shouted Thompson playfully.
Hamilton Recreation Center, located at 1900 Geary Blvd. in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, is open to kids and adults, and features tennis and pickleball courts, and a swimming pool in addition to the basketball gym.
Fresh off her appearance on “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” Breed decided to stop by Hamilton Rec Center when she heard Thompson would be coming. Aparton noted that because she grew up in the Western Addition, Breed has a long connection to Hamilton Recreation Center.
The extra practice Thompson got with the kids at the gym appeared to help the Warriors star. One night after his trip to Hamilton Recreation Center, Thompson scored 31 points in Golden State's 130-115 win over San Antonio on Friday night.