NBA's Klay Thompson Still Living the #BoatLife with 'SS Stallion' Axopar

Photo- Klay Thompson Instagram

NBA star Klay Thompson is getting to be well-known among boaters. The NBA superstar and four time champ picked up a custom Axopar 37 Cabin while living in San Francisco and playing for the Golden State Warriors in 2020, which he found he liked so much he began boating to work. And by work, we mean the court. The enjoyable office commute seemed to spawn a deeper love for adventure and the outdoors, which Thompson has been gleefully sharing with his 16.7 million Instagram followers.

His love for the #BoatLife has not only made him an unofficial ambassador for boating, it's also exposed millions of sports fans to the benefits of boating. His love for boating became so prominent, in fact, that when he left the Warriors at the end of the 2024 season the team honoured him with Captain Klay hats at his final home game. There's something to be said for the peaceful serenity of rolling waves at sunset compared to the hustle and bustle of the hardcourt. Ask any captain.

Thompson's latest move, renaming his boat to the SS Stallion, made waves among boaters as much as it did the mainstream media. While the New York Times focused on Thompson's professed love for his new squeeze, three-time Grammy award winning musician Megan Thee Stallion, boaters lifted an eyebrow at Thompson's bold decision. A name change? What's the rub?

Changing a boat's name is a big deal. In fact, most boaters won't even do it. Once they purchase a boat and name it, the name sticks until the boat sinks or it lands a new owner. Changing the name mid-ownership requires a sacrifice to the sea gods, and not every sailor is willing to tempt fate with the almighty Poseidon.

Thompson's 37-foot Finnish-built Axopar 37 Range has previously been under the monikers Nordic Knife and Splash Express (referring to Thompson's old nickname as a 'Splash Brother' with fellow three-point afficionado Steph Curry), so this marks the third name change in six years. Bold move.

Thompson told NBC Sports, “(s)he 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.”

So what's the big deal? Well, it could be much ado about nothing, but if you're going to tempt fate boaters are the first to show you how to do it properly. Safety first! Thompson got into boating after a nasty ACL tear in 2020 gave him the free time for the high seas, so no need to risk an MCL in 2026. This is free advice for not only Thompson (feel free to take us fishing sometime, Klay!) but for new boaters in general.

That being said, the SS Stallion is a pretty romantic move. Well played.

Now, first up, you're gonna need a few things -- a branch of green leaves, red wine, champagne, a poem to recite, and some friends and family. Eclectic shopping list, we know.

Then you have to strip all mentions of the old name -- on the hull, the paperwork, the logs, all of it. The vessel must be forgotten by the seas.

Next, grab your buds and recite a formal invocation to Poseidon so as to purge the old name and welcome the new one. This is an important part, albeit generally a comical one. Speeches, jokes, maybe a sea shanty or two. Feel free to get theatrical.

Finally, pour out libations (red wine) to your crew, break a bottle of champagne on the bow, and reveal the new name. The vessel is now registered in "the ledger of the Deep" and the 'ole trident should leave you alone. Hopefully.

If you skip these steps so you can post your jazzy new decals on Instagram for the paparazzi, who knows what'll happen next.

As for the boat, the hoopster has good taste. The boutique centre cabin is one of boating's recent breakthrough brands, and the Finnish-made hulls are the offshore equivalent of a three-point shooting machine. Nothing phases them. The Axopar 37 is a unique offshore hull that rides the line between utilitarian and ultra-luxury. With a pricetag in the neighbourhood of $400k US (which Thompson can manage after signing a $190 million contract in 2019), the enclosed centre console is packed with modern tech and 500 horsepower thanks to twin outboards. It's not the typical yacht or superyacht fanfare you see in Hollywood gossip rags, but rather the ideal commuter boat for the big waters of San Francisco Bay. Well played, Mr. Thompson.

Good luck in Minnesota and give us a call if you need a captain/chaperone for date night with Megan.

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