I got a chance to chat with Klay about his new endorsement deal with BodyArmor Sports Drink.
BodyArmor Sports Drink goes after superstar players from all sports leagues -- Kobe Bryant is the third-largest shareholder, and Andrew Luck, Rob Gronkowski, James Harden and Mike Trout have all signed deals with the company. So it's a testimony to Klay Thompson's meteoric rise into the upper echelon of NBA players that he announced today he has signed an endorsement deal with BodyArmor.
"They have some great athletes signed up and that really drew me," Thompson said in an exclusive interview with Golden State of Mind today. "I'm really excited about the partnership and to work with BodyArmor."
BodyArmor is becoming well-known locally, with San Francisco Giants superstar Buster Posey signing a deal with the company in 2013, and is sold in stores all across the Bay Area.
The company released a statement today, saying: "As part of the partnership, Thompson will appear in local in-store advertising campaigns, be featured in social media activation, appear at local events and help to generate awareness for the brand throughout the state."
Thompson told Golden State of Mind, "It's a new company and it was really a mutual partnership. I tried it last year and really liked it. BodyArmor has no artificial ingredients in it and that's really important for me because I perform every day."
BodyArmor touts itself as the "new premium sports drink" and partnering with Thompson, a rising star on and off the basketball court, will only serve to expand its audience and sales in California.
After signing a $69 million, four-year extension in October, Thompson has exploded onto the scene as one of the most invaluable players in the league, completely justifying his mammoth contract extension. He is averaging career-highs in nearly every category this year, including shooting 44% from three-point range and averaging over 22 points per game. Klay has won the Player of the Week award twice, and against the Kings set an all-time scoring record with 37 points in a quarter. Thompson's emergence this season helped him make the All-Star Team for the first time; he started the All-Star Game.
After signing a shoe deal with Chinese shoe company Anta -- which made him one of the faces of the company -- he now joins the BodyArmor Superteam as one of its main advertisers.
Thompson said to me, "To get all of these deals, I never thought I would be a franchise guy, so it's very cool and very humbling. I'm very excited to be working with them."
More to come tomorrow, as I take a full-on look at Klay Thompson's rise to NBA stardom.