Klay Thompson Promises to Honor Kobe and Gigi Bryant With His Effort in Game 3 vs. Lakers

• Klay Thompson has promised to honor Kobe and Gigi Bryant when the Golden State Warriors play the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3
• Thompson has a deep connection with the Lakers, as his father played for them 30 years ago
• THompson's incredible Game 2 powered the Warriors to a blowout win over the Lakers

Klay Thompson's connection with the Los Angeles Lakers is deep.

His father, Mychal Thompson, played for the Lakers decades ago, meaning the Goolden State Warriors star grew up watching the Lakers. Ahead of Game 3, Thompson has vowed to honor the late Kobe and Gigi Bryant, who died three years ago in a helicopter crash.

In Game 2, the 33-year-old guard erup0ted for 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 8-of-11 from 3, to help the Warriors bounce back to win 127-100, per ESPN.

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The series is now finely poised at 1-1 ahead of mouth-watering Games 3 and 4 showdowns at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday and Monday, respectively,

Thompson is having a great postseason. He's averaging 22.1 points in nine playoff games.

Thompson vows to honor Kobe and Gigi

After the emphatic Game 2 win, Thompson said he is looking forward to playing against the Lakers, a team he rooted for when he was young.

His father, Mychal Thompson, played 4 1/2 seasons with the Lakers from 1987 to 1991 and won two NBA titles. He has been the Lakers' radio analyst for the past 20 seasons.

"I would go to Staples [Center] as a high school basketball player with my pops, just dreaming of playing on that floor, playing against the best in the world. To be here and be a part of it, I don't lose sight of that perspective of how great this opportunity is and I'm just excited to do it in a building where all my hoop dreams came out," via NBC Sports.

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He promised to play hard to honor his childhood hero, the late Kobe Bryant.

"I'm a huge Kobe fan, he's my biggest inspiration and I'm just going to play my hardest to honestly honor him and Gigi because without his play and all those years of me viewing his tenacity on the court, I would not be the athlete I am today."

Thompson faced Bryant on the court many times before he retired.

Thompson on Curry

Sports Brief earlier reported on Thompson sending a heartfelt message to his teammate, Curry, after the Warriors won game 4 at home.

The Splash Brothers have played 12 full seasons together in the NBA, with most of that time bringing success and sometimes agony.

Thompson hailed his teammate as being a hard worker who does not take shortcuts but has also proven himself a great family man.