Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) defends against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter of game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rockets Star Amen Thompson Reveals Reason for Hating Warriors

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 8:49 PM ET

The Houston Rockets have one of the most promising rising stars in the NBA with 22-year-old guard Amen Thompson, who already made the All-Defensive First Team as a sophomore. In his second season in Houston, Thompson averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the field.

The 6-foot-7 guard is a complete freak of nature, already being one of the most athletic players in the league with absurd defensive tools. Thompson's talent was on full display in his first career playoff series, as he and the Rockets took the star-studded Golden State Warriors to seven games.

Thompson's homecoming

Thompson is from the Bay Area, being born in San Leandro, so returning home to play against the Warriors on the biggest stage of his young career was certainly monumental for him. Through this playoff series, the Rockets and Warriors were very physical, and it had all the makings of a legitimate rivalry.

In that playoff series, Thompson averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals through seven starts, while taking the defensive responsibility of Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry.

Still, months later, it seems like the two teams hate each other, with stars like Draymond Green and Alperen Sengun going at it over the summer. However, surprisingly, Thompson has hated the Warriors for a long time.

Thompson's hate for the Warriors

In a recent interview on "The Young Man and The Three" podcast, Thompson revealed that he began hating the Warriors because he was such a big fan of LeBron James.

"I was a LeBron [James] fan, I'm not gonna lie," Thompson said. "I didn't dislike the Warriors — I actually liked the Warriors, until they had to start playing LeBron. And then I'm like, 'Okay, now I hate the Warriors.' "

The Warriors were the most hated team in the NBA for years as they won three championships in four seasons, as most fans will always root against the star-studded powerhouse. Of course, fans of LeBron James were leading that hate charge, which apparently included Amen Thompson.

Despite being from the Bay Area, Thompson chose to hate the Warriors and be a fan of LeBron James, and now he has a legitimate budding rivalry with his hometown team.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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