Klay Thompson‘s beloved English bulldog, Rocco, has died after 13 years alongside the Dallas Mavericks guard.
Thompson mourned Rocco in an Instagram post Friday, memorializing their time together and wishing him well in the afterlife.
“I’m gonna miss Rocco a lot, 13 glorious years with my boy,” Thompson wrote. “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!”
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Rocco rose to prominence during Thompson’s run as part of the Golden State Warriors’ dynastic Splash Brothers duo, endearing himself to fans as the All-Star guard’s close companion.
Thompson referenced the bulldog as his No. 1 essential in a 2019 interview with GQ Sports.
“He’s a loyal steed,” Thompson said. “And he’s the first pet I’ve ever owned, so Rocco you’ll forever hold a special place in my heart buddy.”
Rocco even had his own Instagram page that featured photos of himself and Thompson, with over 60,000 followers.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, Los Angeles Dodgers first basemen Enrique Hernandez and rapper G-Eazy were among those to pay tribute to Rocco in the comments of Thompson’s post. The Warriors also eulogized Rocco with a post.
Source: espn.com