Warriors pay tribute to Thompson

Klay Thompson exited the team bus then beamed as he strolled back into Chase Center on Tuesday night in San Francisco, greeted by some 400 cheering employees who lined up along his path to the visitors locker room to show their love and appreciation for the former Warriors star. Once the ball was tipped a couple of hours later, Thompson, now with the Mavericks, tried to pull off an impromptu shimmy, Stephen Curry-style, as the former Splash Brothers dueled in different uniforms. The employees who greeted Thompson sported “Captain Klay” hats, the giveaway for all fans on a celebratory night remembering his 13 years with the franchise and four titles he helped win. “That was really cool,” Thompson said. “... Something I’ll never forget.” Those white hats filled Chase Center, where video highlights of Thompson showed in a place where he’s still beloved . Thompson scored 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting with six 3-pointers but watched Curry shine at the end of the Warriors’ 120-117 victory. Thompson, 34, joined the Mavs in July on a three-year, $50 million contract.

Self now tops Kansas hoops wins list

Bill Self brushed off becoming the winningest coach in Kansas basketball history, even as he surpassed the guy whose name is on the arena. “It means I’m old,” the 61-year-old Self said with a slight grin. “And it means I’ve had a lot of really good players.” Self claimed the top spot at one of college basketball’s most storied programs Tuesday night when No. 1 Kansas held off Michigan State 77-69 at the Champions Classic in Atlanta. Self improved to 591-143 in his 22nd season coaching the Jayhawks, pushing him past Phog Allen’s mark of 590-219 in 39 seasons on the Kansas sideline. Including stints at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois, Self is two wins away from 800 in his career. The Jayhawks, of course, play at Allen Fieldhouse — named in honor of the Hall of Fame coach whose brilliant career spanned most of first half of the 20th century. They may have to put Self’s name on the building, too. “I hadn’t thought about that at all,” he said of passing Allen’s mark. “I’m certainly proud about it, but Phog Allen is still gonna be the all-time best coach at Kansas.”

Big crowd for Clark at LPGA pro-am

Caitlin Clark brought her golf game and a big buzz to the LPGA Tour on Wednesday when the basketball star played in a pro-am that attracted a bigger crowd than the tour often gets for its tournament rounds. Clark played nine holes with Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf who’s competing for the first time in nearly two months after a minor neck injury. She played the back nine at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, with Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, host of a tournament called The Annika. During a brief interview with Golf Channel, the WNBA rookie of the year was asked if she picked up any tips from Korda. “I’ve watched and she’s amazing,” Clark said. “But golf is hard.” The gallery packed behind the ropes to watch Clark, and she signed autographs for hundreds of fans when the pro-am was over. The 22-year-old Clark has an endorsement deal with Indiana-based Gainbridge, the presenting sponsor of the LPGA’s penultimate tournament on the schedule. Clark also played in the John Deere Classic pro-am last summer on the PGA Tour. —AP