Julie Thompson Story: The Volleyball Star Who Raised NBA Champion Klay Thompson
Most basketball fans know Klay Thompson as one of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen. Fewer people know the woman who helped shape him. Julie Thompson is Klay’s mother, and she was a gifted athlete long before her sons became famous.
Julie grew up in Ridgefield, Washington, and became a state champion in track and volleyball in high school. She later played college volleyball and married former NBA player Mychal Thompson. Together they raised three sons who all went on to play professional sports.
Julie Thompson Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Julie Thompson (born Julie Leslie) |
| Known for | Being the mother of NBA player Klay Thompson |
| Birthplace | Ridgefield, Washington, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Ridgefield High School |
| Sports | Volleyball, track and field |
| College | University of San Francisco (some sources also list the University of Portland) |
| Husband | Mychal Thompson, former NBA player and Lakers radio analyst |
| Children | Mychel, Klay and Trayce Thompson |
| Charity role | Co-founder and President of the Thompson Family Foundation |
Early Life in Ridgefield, Washington
Julie Thompson was born Julie Leslie in Ridgefield, Washington, a small town in Clark County. According to a fan-maintained NBA family wiki, she grew up with two older brothers. Growing up with brothers often means learning to compete early, and that fits the story people tell about her.
She went to Ridgefield High School. The Thompson Family Foundation says she was a state champion in both track and field and volleyball there. That is a rare achievement, because it shows she had speed, strength and strong jumping ability.
Her college coaches later spoke about her talent in the same way. Steve Pickering, one of her volleyball coaches, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she was as good an athlete as anyone he had coached in a career that lasted four decades.
Her College Volleyball Career
After high school, Julie played college volleyball. Most reports say she played for the University of San Francisco, and a photo from the school shows her playing for the Dons in 1985. Some profiles say she also spent time at the University of Portland before moving to San Francisco.
At USF she competed in the West Coast Conference. Stories about her often mention her jumping skills. One famous detail in the Chronicle article is that she could dunk a tennis ball. The same story says Sonya Curry, the mother of Stephen Curry, was also a strong jumper, but she could not do this.
Julie’s sports background matters because it was not just a hobby. She trained hard, she competed at a high level, and she knew what it takes to improve. Those lessons later became part of her family life.
How Julie Met Mychal Thompson
The Chronicle tells a fun story about how Julie and Mychal met. One day she went to a university gym to play volleyball and saw a pickup basketball game. One of the players was Mychal Thompson, who was getting ready for his second season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Mychal was born in Nassau, in the Bahamas, and he was the first overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. He later won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. After his playing days, he became a Lakers radio announcer.
Julie has joked in interviews that Mychal brags too much. That light humor shows that she is more than a famous player’s wife. She has her own sports story and her own voice.
For years, many news stories described Julie mainly as Mychal’s wife. After Klay joined the Golden State Warriors, she became known as Klay’s mom. A 2013 column in The Columbian, a newspaper from Vancouver, Washington, pointed out this change.
Raising Three Athletic Sons
Julie and Mychal have three sons: Mychel, Klay and Trayce. All three became professional athletes.
- Mychel Thompson played basketball in college and later worked in other areas, including music.
- Klay Thompson, born on February 8, 1990, in Los Angeles, became an NBA star.
- Trayce Thompson became a professional baseball player.
With so much sports talent in one house, you might expect strong pressure on the boys. Some profiles say the opposite. They describe parents who let their children choose their own paths. Trayce chose baseball, for example, while Klay chose basketball like his father.
That freedom is a big part of the family story. The boys had two athletic parents to learn from, but they were not forced into one sport.
The Driveway Races
One of the best-known stories about Julie shows how competitive she was. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that every month or so she challenged young Klay to a race in the family driveway. Her son Mychel also told Bleacher Report that she kept racing him until she finally could beat him, according to the Heavy article about the family.
These races are fun, but they also say something about her style as a parent. She did not only watch from the side. She showed her sons what effort and a competitive spirit look like by doing it herself.
Many articles say she passed on a strong work ethic to her children. Take those claims with some care, since many websites repeat each other. Still, the stories from interviews and sports coaches support the same general picture: a mother who loved sports and encouraged her sons to work hard.
Julie Thompson and Klay’s Basketball Career
Klay Thompson grew up with a father who played in the NBA and a mother who was an elite athlete. He went on to play college basketball at Washington State University, then joined the Golden State Warriors. There he won four NBA championships and became one of the “Splash Brothers” with Stephen Curry. He also won a gold medal with the United States team at the 2016 Olympic Games.
It is hard to measure exactly how much of that success came from his mother. What we can say is that Klay learned about sports from both parents. His father gave him basketball knowledge from the highest level. His mother gave him a daily example of speed, effort and competition.
Julie has also been a visible supporter during big moments. She has been photographed with Klay at events like the 2016 White House visit for the Warriors, and she has been in the stands for many of his games.
The Thompson Family Foundation
Julie is also active outside of sports. She is a co-founder and the President of the Thompson Family Foundation. Mychal is the Vice President, and their three sons serve as trustees.
The foundation lists a team that includes family members and advisors. Julie’s role as President shows that she takes part in the leadership and is not only a public name attached to a family charity.
If you want to learn more about the foundation’s current projects, the best place to check is its official website, since other pages online often repeat old or unclear information.
A Private Life with Moments in the Spotlight
Julie does not seek attention. She rarely gives long interviews, and most of what the public knows comes from a few newspaper stories and from her sons’ own comments.
Be careful with websites that claim to reveal secret facts about her. Some pages online give very different birth dates, mix up her sons, or say she is a famous businesswoman without proof. When you research her, it is best to trust local newspapers, university sources and the family foundation.
Conclusion
Julie Thompson is more than “Klay Thompson’s mom.” She was a state champion, a college volleyball player and a competitive athlete who loved to race her own children. She married a former NBA star, helped raise three professional athletes, and now leads a family foundation.
Her story shows that great athletes often come from homes where sports are part of daily life. It also shows that a parent can guide children without forcing them into one path. If you enjoy family stories behind famous players, Julie’s life is a good one to remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Julie Thompson? Julie Thompson is the mother of NBA player Klay Thompson and the wife of former NBA player Mychal Thompson. She was a high school state champion and a college volleyball player.
2. What sport did Julie Thompson play? She played volleyball and also competed in track and field. She was a state champion in both sports at Ridgefield High School.
3. Where did Julie Thompson go to college? Most reports say she played volleyball at the University of San Francisco. Some profiles also mention the University of Portland.
4. How many children does Julie Thompson have? She has three sons: Mychel, Klay and Trayce Thompson.
5. Is Julie Thompson married to Mychal Thompson? Yes. Mychal was the first overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, won two championships with the Lakers, and later became a Lakers radio announcer.
6. What does Julie Thompson do now? She is a co-founder and the President of the Thompson Family Foundation, which her husband and sons also support.
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