Did Klay Thompson Date Model Abigail Ratchford? Past Rumors Resurface Amid Personal Loss of Pet Rocco

It’s not often that NBA players’ pets become iconic figures in their own right. But for the Dub Nation, Rocco, Klay Thompson’s beloved bulldog, became that figure. Named after the equally iconic Rocky from Rocky and Bullwinkle, Rocco became a sensation among Dub fans during the Splash Brothers’ heyday. But no matter how much Warriors fans loved the adorable canine, no one loved Rocco more than Klay Thompson. In fact, he prioritized Rocco over most things — including his own love life.

Sadly, on Thursday, Klay’s dad, Mychal, revealed that Rocco had to be put down last Saturday. He was 13 at the time of his passing. The endearingly goofy dog had been through it all with Klay. From his rookie season in the NBA to four championships and everything in between, Rocco was a huge part of Klay’s life. So much so that a mere picture of him sent waves.

You see, model Abigail Ratchford posted a picture of a bulldog. Now, it’s unclear whether she was trying to insinuate that she was dating Klay or just posted the picture without regard to its implications. However, it took the Dub Nation exactly zero time to figure out that the dog in the picture was Klay’s adorable pet. Soon, the rumor mill began swirling as people started shipping one half of the Splash brothers with Abigail.

But later, Klay Thompson himself came out to cheekily dispel the rumors. In an interview with Damon Bruce of 96.7 The Game back in 2017, the host asked him, “Any pin-up models we should know about?” In response, Klay said, “With Rocco? Oh, no no no no no. (I’m) just being good. Yeah, I’m trying to find a wholesome lady out there,” said Thompson, dismissing the idea of him dating Ratchford.

 

Klay Thompson really passed on Abigail Ratchford because he just wanted a nice girl to vibe with him and his dog Rocco.

Legend behavior.
⁰RIP Rocco pic.twitter.com/zW105ICS0t

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) May 30, 2025

Now, it’s to be noted that Klay himself didn’t appear in any of the shots — only Rocco. So it’s likely there was nothing to these rumors beyond speculation. Sadly, we will never know the EXACT details of what happened. But what we do know is that Abigail Ratchford was linked to another NBA star. And he’s a former NBA champion as well!

Not just Klay Thompson, Abigail Ratchford has history with the Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis

Just two years into his NBA career, Kristaps Porziņģis, then with the Knicks, had already started making waves. But not because of what he did on the court. No, KP had garnered a lot of eyeballs for a comment he left on a post by Abigail.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, the model posted a bold photo of herself. Her caption read, “Spicy :),” followed by three chilli pepper emojis. And the 7-foot-1 Latvian big man shot his shot by commenting, “.” And his shot did seem to find its mark as Abigail replied, writing, “@kporzee .”

Dec 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) holds his wrist during warmups before a game against the Detroit Pistons at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

However, there seemed to be no follow-through on either’s part, at least publicly. Much like her and Klay Thompson’s relationship, we shall never know the full story, either. That said, Kristaps has bigger things to worry about with his team. And Abigail?

She’s living her best life as an influencer these days. So any history she had with either Kristaps Porziņģis or Klay Thompson is EXACTLY that — history!

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