Klay Thompson took several moments out of his ESPYs Award acceptance speech Wednesday night to pay homage to Kobe and Gigi Bryant -- and the words were so powerful, Vanessa Bryant thanked him for them shortly afterward.
The Golden State Warriors guard -- who accepted the trophy for Best Comeback Athlete of the Year at the ceremony -- gave the nod to the Bryants after thanking his family, his teammate Steph Curry and the Warriors for having faith in him.
"I don't know if Vanessa is out there watching, but to Vanessa and her three beautiful girls, we think of Kobe and Gigi every day," he said.
"I read Mamba Mentality every day during rehab and those are the best memories of my life, watching him play and he inspired me to be the athlete I am today."
Vanessa was clearly watching -- and responded to Thompson's nod to her late husband and daughter with a thank you message on her social media page.
"Klay Thompson, you're a class act," she said. "Thank you for your support and love for Kobe, my Gigi and our family. Thank you for always including my Gigi when you think of Kob. Congratulations. #MambaMentality #espys"