“I know he’s in doggy heaven” – Klay Thompson shares touching tribute for deceased loved one, Rocco

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson has many close friends around the NBA, but the four-time champion lost one of his closest companions on Friday. Thompson’s dog, Rocco, passed away on Saturday, and his owner took to Instagram to pay tribute to his pet and share his memories with fans.

Thompson and Rocco were an inseparable pair, and the 6-foot-5 forward often joked that his dog was more popular in the Bay Area than he was. Rocco became a mainstay around the Golden State Warriors’ facilities, so much so that Thompson called him his “son”. A separate Instagram account was created for Rocco, which amassed more than 60,000 followers on its own.

On Friday, Thompson posted a tribute to his pet, remembering the good times he and Rocco shared. The NBA veteran spoke about how much his dog meant to him and just how long he was around him while he was in the league.

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"I'm gonna miss Rocco a lot, 13 glorious years with my boy," Thompson said. "I know he's in doggy heaven, poppin' somebody's ball. A great dynasty dog he was. Thank you for all the sweet messages! All dogs go to Heaven!"

Thompson and Rocco went through a lot together. His pet was with him for the entirety of his NBA career, sticking by his side throughout the entire Warriors dynasty. Even though Golden State traded him away to Dallas last offseason, Rocco's popularity remained high as fans awaited updates about the most popular dog in the league.

Fans joined Klay Thompson, mourning the passing of Rocco with him

While Rocco's relationship with Thompson is much closer than anything fans had, they still reached out to the guard to support him as he deals with the loss of his pet. Warriors fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the news, paying tribute to the dog that was the team's pseudo-mascot.

Heartbreak Dook Ʊ

@Goldenapolis

Long Live Rocco 🐕 💪🏾 I already Klay is crushed 🤦🏾‍♂️ that was lil homie for real. Real fans know.

Carlos Blancaz

@BlancazCarlos

rest in peace to the realest dog in warriors history

Aaron A

@minus_28

He needs to be a part of the statue. Important part of the dynasty

Thompson has spoken throughout his career about how much Rocco meant to him. Thompson's father shared the news on ESPN radio on Friday, much to the chagrin of the hosts and Warriors fans everywhere.

"Of course, we all were," Thompson said when asked if his son was hurt by the loss of his pet.

Tributes and send-offs for Rocco continue to flood social media as fans rally around Thompson and provide support, including a message from Steph Curry's sister, Sydel Curry-Lee. The basketball community is coming together to support the former champion as he deals with the loss of a close friend.

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About the author

Zachary Howell

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

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