He purchased a home on the San Francisco Bay, with a pier the place he retains his boat. He takes his canine Rocco to dog-friendly seashores alongside the Pacific Ocean. Soar within the cool native water for some psychotherapy. Boat close to Angel Island, throughout Raccoon Strait.
“It’s totally stunning,” Thompson stated of Marin County. “It’s totally straightforward to clear your thoughts.”
Naturally, like many Northern Californians, he bought into the wine.
“I like taxis, however I like good pinots and good whites too,” Thompson stated not too long ago. “I’m open minded in the case of foods and drinks. It form of depends upon the temper at this time.”
And the temper today, since profitable the fourth NBA championship with Golden State Warriors?
“On particular events, I wish to have a pleasant, chilly glass of champagne,” Thompson stated a number of weeks earlier than he sprinkled champagne on his teammates.
Thompson is greater than only a wine connoisseur. Now formally engaged within the wine enterprise. He and St.
“I wished to make one thing near my coronary heart,” Thompson stated.
The challenge happened in partnership with Joe Harden, winemaker at Nickel & Nickel, and Joe McClain, wealth supervisor for each Thompson and Arenado. Harden grew up on a winery in Lodi, performed highschool basketball at St. Marys in Stockton, and misplaced the state championship to “The Different Harden” (James). The paths of he and Thompson crossed for the primary time in AAU basketball. Harden performed at Notre Dame, then on the College of California at Davis the place he studied viticulture, and later in Australia. He additionally performed within the D for the Warriors League earlier than hitting his excessive peaks within the wine enterprise.
In 2017, Thompson grew to become concerned in fundraising instances for hearth victims in Sonoma and Napa counties. He additionally began spending extra time in Wine Nation.
“I did not understand how stunning she was,” Thompson stated. “It appears like Lord of the Rings. Like Rivendell.”
Round that point, he and Harden began a dialog in regards to the wine challenge.
“It was a spot the place I may see myself having lots of high quality time going ahead,” Thompson stated. “Once I noticed Joe’s operation, I used to be like, ‘That is so cool, man. “It is exhausting work twelve months a 12 months. I realized so much in regards to the seasons, the viticulture processes, and all of the layers wanted to make a bottle of wine.”
He was additionally fascinated by what a household enterprise was, which had been handed down by generations.
“Kind of basketball is for my household,” he stated.
Venture contains Diamond & Key Arenado, who grew up with the Thompsons, and performed baseball membership along with his youthful brother Hint. The identify of the classification comes from the enjoying fields of the athletes.
There may be lots of movie star wine. A method to do that is to companion with an enormous model, and slap a well-known identify on a bottle for promoting functions solely. The opposite is to make it extra private, and make extra love.
“Respect comes when celebrities do it the appropriate manner,” Harden stated. Klay would not work shortcuts. He wished to study extra about them and do it the appropriate manner.
“He is shifting at his personal tempo. Clay needs to be behind one thing he is actually happy with and actually enthusiastic about.”
In the course of the course of, the enter was collective. Wine tasting Thompson, his brother Michael and their shut buddy Seth Tarver.
“I do not drink lots of wine, however I can inform you what’s good,” Tarver stated. “And that’s tremendous. Joe (Harden) is an in depth buddy and he is superb at what he does. This wasn’t simply Klay slapping his identify on a bottle. Joe helped us navigate that.”
The 2018 Cabernet, made in Saint Helena, has simply been launched. Harden describes it as a high-density, high-quality Nappa cabin. The challenge has bottled 4 Cabernet crops up to now and has additionally made a rose.
“Clay wished to get wine for his boat,” Harden stated. “It is exhausting to get an costly taxi on the water.”
Thompson has been creating his portray in recent times. Final 12 months, he wandered into the Tiburon Wine Comfort Retailer. The proprietor, Jerry Horn (who, fairly frankly, is a buddy of mine), noticed a tall man in a helmet, sun shades, and masks getting off his bike, come and begin testing his product.
“Normally, which means nothing will occur,” stated Horn, whose store is situated in a extremely trafficked vacationer space.
However this tall man selected the Silver Oak taxi. Alpha omega cabin. Mary Edwards Chardonnay. Dom Perignon bottle. When he dropped his bank card, Horn realized that this wasn’t only a restroom, however the latest high-ranking resident of the Tiburon Peninsula.
Thompson, nonetheless recovering from his accidents, would put all the pieces in his backpack and trip residence by bike. Horn, the biker himself, requested to see his bike.
“Do not decide me,” Thompson stated. “It is electrical.”
There isn’t a verdict on the person who, on the time, was nonetheless getting back from a ruptured ACL and torn Achilles. However Horn provided to lighten the burden of the backpack and hand over the acquisition, and a friendship was shaped.
“I all the time cease to see Jerry,” Thompson stated. “It is enjoyable to go to his store and speak about wine and music. He appears like a neighborhood keeper.”
When the Warriors carried out the cut-offs, Horn, recognized in present enterprise as “Dr. Champagne,” left a bottle of Krug with a observe: “See you when the job’s completed.”
job completed. Two weeks earlier than the Warriors lifted one other Larry O’Brien trophy, Thompson puzzled, “I ponder if Jerry would decide one thing good if we gained the entire title.”
Certain sufficient, when Thompson returned to Marin County, a bottle of Dom Perignon was ready for him. To not spray, however to drink.
Simply in time for the victory parade on Monday.
Ann Killion is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Electronic mail: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Tweet embed