Amen Thompson has quickly become one of the most intriguing young stars in the NBA, but his path to Houston was shaped by more than just talent.
Long before he was matching up against Stephen Curry in the playoffs, Thompson was a teenager watching LeBron James battle the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, and, like many of his generation, that loyalty hardened into disdain for one of basketball’s most dominant dynasties.
On a recent appearance on The Young Man & the Three, the 21-year-old guard openly shared how his admiration for James evolved into a dislike of Golden State during the peak of their rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I was a LeBron fan, I’m not gonna lie,” Thompson said. “I didn’t dislike the Warriors until-I actually liked the Warriors until they had to start playing LeBron. And then I’m like, ‘Okay, now I hate the Warriors.'”
For Thompson, those matchups were a formative introduction to high-stakes basketball. Between 2015 and 2018, the Warriors and Cavaliers clashed in four consecutive Finals, with Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and eventually Kevin Durant forming a team that seemed almost unbeatable.
Golden State won three of those four series, leaving LeBron’s Cavs with just one historic triumph-the 2016 comeback from a 3-1 deficit that remains one of the most celebrated Finals victories in NBA history.
For young fans like Thompson, the narrative was simple: supporting LeBron meant seeing the Warriors as the enemy.
Kevin Durant‘s decision to join Golden State in 2016 only cemented that perception. With Durant in the fold, the Warriors went from champions to juggernaut, leaving little room for LeBron to add to his ring collection.
For Thompson, watching his hero’s path repeatedly blocked created a natural sense of rivalry, even if he was only a spectator at the time.
Full circle in Houston
Fast forward to 2025, and Thompson found himself facing the very team he once grew up rooting against. In his first NBA playoff run, the Rockets clashed with Golden State in a seven-game series that reignited those childhood emotions.
The rookie guard didn’t shrink from the challenge. He took defensive turns on Curry, brought relentless energy, and showcased the fearlessness that had made him a cornerstone of Houston’s rebuild.
While the Rockets ultimately fell short, Thompson‘s performance earned him praise across the league and confirmed that he could thrive against the NBA’s toughest opponents.
The irony of the matchup wasn’t lost on him either. A player who once hated the Warriors from afar was now trying to knock them out himself, echoing the battles he had watched unfold as a teenager.
Adding another layer of drama, Houston made one of the biggest offseason splashes by acquiring Kevin Durant-the same superstar whose move to Golden State had fueled Thompson’s early resentment.
Durant‘s presence in Houston now gives Thompson the chance to rewrite the storyline.
If Durant proves to be the missing piece in Houston‘s rise, Thompson could find himself avenging the very Finals heartbreak that once made him turn against Golden State. What was once LeBron‘s burden could now become Thompson‘s opportunity.
A rivalry that shapes perspective
Golden State‘s dynasty has generated its share of animosity over the years, but Thompson‘s candid reflections highlight just how deeply that era resonated with the next generation of players.
For many young fans who grew up idolizing LeBron, the Warriors became the ultimate obstacle. Now, some of those same fans are stepping onto the court as NBA players themselves, carrying that history into their own battles.
For Thompson, it is more than just a storyline, it’s personal. He is building his own career while facing the same team that shaped his earliest basketball memories.
And if the Rockets continue their ascent, his rivalry with Golden State could become one of the defining narratives of the next decade.
What started as childhood fandom has become professional motivation, and in Houston, Thompson is ready to turn that fuel into something bigger.
Read the full article here
