BEFORE he even set foot in the Philippines, Klay Thompson already had an idea of the Filipinos' love for the game, thanks to Pinoys in the Bay Area, and his kinship with eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
READ: Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney arrive in Manila for Anta Asia Tour
"I am aware of that [Filipinos' crazy love for hoops]," he said. "I've met Manny Pacquiao, trained with him, and heard about his experience playing in the Philippines, just the boxing legend's big love for the game.
"Being here, I want to pay homage to him. He's a global superstar."
The two first met in 2021 when Klay paid Manny a visit during his training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Now he's in the boxing legend's home country after arriving early Thursday morning for a three-day activity of the ANTA Squad Asia Tour.
He and Warriors teammate Kevon Looney are penciled to host a Shooter-11 basketball camp in the coming days, their first taste of Philippine basketball while their coach, Steve Kerr, attempts to lead Team USA to the World Cup title.
While he's a first-timer in the country, the four-time NBA champ already shared a handful of good experiences being with Filipinos.
"I'm excited to meet all the Filipino fans, we have a huge Filipino fan base in the Bay Area, and we celebrate the Filipino heritage," he shared. "It's amazing to be in a place where your craft is appreciated."
Impression-wise, Manila's climate made him feel at home.
"It's my first time here, when we stepped out of the plane, it feels nice, you can feel the tropical breeze which reminded me of Bahamas, where my family's from, the moistness of the air feels good," he said.
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