By: Scott Way
NBA champ Klay Thompson has great taste in boats. He rides around San Francisco Bay in an Axopar 37 Cabin and boats to the Chase Centre for home games as a member of the Golden State Warriors. The ultra-popular shooting guard has three NBA championships with Golden State, and he's a five time All-Star. He's also a decent boat captain. Thompson shares many of his boating adventures on social media. He's taken teammates and coaches out for fishing trips and various adventures, while also praising how boating has been a helpful tool in his recovery from ACL surgery. He suffered debilitating back-to-back ACL and Achilles tendon injuries that have kept him out of the lineup since 2019.
With rumours gaining momentum that he was set to return to the hardcourt, Thompson posted live on Instagram from the helm of his boat. His answer to questions about whether he was ready was simple but effective - "I'm almost there."
It's unclear if he meant he was literally on his way to the Chase Centre, or if he was figuratively ready to play again, but either way that's how many of us envision handling business inquiries. Sending out a press release from the helm of your boat is a power move.
Thompson's teammate Draymond Green told NBC Sports that his return was building some serious excitement. "You can definitely feel it amongst the team. Everybody is excited, the fan base is excited. Like I said the other day, everybody who is a part of the basketball world is excited. So you can definitely feel it, for sure. It's been long-awaited and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so it's good."
Sports Illustrated reporter Howard Beck happened to be watching the feed and caught a captain truly in his element.
Thompson has taken a shine to boating, and being aboard an Axopar helps. The Finnish boatbuilder makes stunning offshore cruising boats that are an exceptional mix of performance and luxury.
“I have a few names for it. I call it the 'Nordic Knife' or 'Splash Express,'" Thompson told NBC Sports.
“She was made in Finland, so that’s Norwegian I think. She cuts the water like a knife, so I call her the Nordic Knife. People are like ‘why would you name your boat after a weapon?’ I’m like ‘it’s not a weapon it’s just the way she rides.’ It’s so fast. Then Splash Express is when I'm carrying my friends on board and we’re commuting.”
Accordingly, they're not cheap, but Thompson can probably afford the monthly payments.
Especially when he's filming Uber Eats commercials from his boat.
