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Quite a weekend is on tap in Pullman. Thursday afternoon, the new head football coach for the Washington State Cougars will be introduced to the media. Then on Saturday, the greatest basketball player to ever play for the Cougs, Klay Thompson, will have his jersey retired ahead of WSU’s tilt with the Oregon State Beavers.
Klay met with the media in San Francisco on Tuesday ahead of his return trip to the Palouse and told reporters that if he had to make a choice of where to go to school right now, “I would choose Pullman again”:
Klay Thompson on why he identifies with Pullman: pic.twitter.com/d7kzTpcxnJ
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) January 15, 2020
“I was inspired by seeing what that team did for that school and that city,” Thompson said. “They embrace the Cougs like none other because that’s all that’s really out there. Cougar pride and the Palouse, that’s what drew me.”
This will be Klay’s second trip back to Pullman since departing for the NBA in 2011; he brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the home opening football game in 2015. He will be the first Washington State basketball player to have their number retired, joining a select few athletes and coaches at Washington State to also have the honor (Mel Hein, Jack Thompson, Arthur Bailey and Bobo Brayton).
Oh, and Steph’s gonna be there!
Stephen Curry confirms to this WSU grad he will go to Pullman this weekend for Klay Thompson’s jersey retirement by @WSUCougarMBB @WSUCougars. “I heard it’s pretty cool there.” And then he gave me a nice “Go Cougs!” (With a smile). pic.twitter.com/dG6F3dOdyH
— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) January 15, 2020