Thompson becomes the second WSU basketball player ever to have their number retired. Steve Puidokas was the first. Puidokas wore No. 55, while Klay wore No. 1.

Thompson has had an extremely accomplished career both on the Palouse and in the Bay. He is a three-time NBA champion, five-time NBA All-Star and is an Olympic gold medalist. Thompson was the 11th pick in the NBA Draft in 2011. He was on the Pac-12 first-team twice while at WSU. During his junior season, Thompson broke the Cougars' single-season scoring record.