Amen Thompson admits he is a fan of James, which fuels him hate the Warriors

According to F/W reporter Vishvesha Kumar, Rockets guard Amen Thompson said that he supports LeBron James to fuel his "hate" against the Warriors.

Amen Thompson is quickly becoming one of the most fearless young stars in the NBA, and when he embraces the spotlight, he is not afraid to share what shapes his competitive fire. In his most recent appearance on The Old Man and the Trio, the Houston Rockets defender admitted that his admiration for LeBron James directly fueled his early contempt for the Golden State Warriors.

"I'm a LeBron fan, I won't lie. I don't like the Warriors until I really like the Warriors until they have to start playing LeBron. Then I thought, 'Well, now I hate the Warriors."

This honesty resonates with many NBA fans who have experienced the epic competition between the Cavaliers and the Warriors in the 2010s. For four consecutive years, the Finals were defined by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers clashed with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and eventually Kevin Durant. The Warriors won three championships during that time, while LeBron’s Cavaliers won their only win in 2016, when they were known for a 3-1 fallback.

For Amen Thompson, who was only a teenager in these battles, competition was his entry to his exposure to high-risk basketball. Like many young fans who worship LeBron, the Warriors are the enemy by default. And now, years later, Thompson finds himself standing on the floor against the dynasty he has been against since childhood. This dynamic played a dramatic role in the 2025 NBA playoffs, when Thompson and the Rockets faced head-on with the Warriors in a tough seven-game series. The game not only exacerbated old emotions, but also gave Thompson the opportunity to prove himself against Stephen Curry, one of the greatest players of all time.

The 21-year-old defender took the task, played a long game with Curry and did not hesitate to try to disrupt the pace of the two-time MVP. While the Rockets ended up being underperformed, Thompson's defense and energy have won wide acclaim. His performance reinforces the idea that Houston has a young cornerstone who is not afraid of the present, even against one of the most accomplished teams in league history.

As far as the Warriors are concerned, they have been subjected to a lot of hostility from opponents’ fans and players throughout the dynasty. But when the next generation of NBA geniuses openly acknowledge that their basketball worldview was shaped by trying to oppose the Golden State Warriors, it shows how deep their influence is. For Amen Thompson, the story has been circling. He has been supporting LeBron James since he was a kid and hated the Warriors in the process, and now he has brought that energy into his competition with the Golden State Warriors.