Always the big man on campus

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The tall, lean man sitting near the top of the Ocean View High bleachers works the phone, guards a bag of chips and a soda and warmly greets the timid who approach him.

Mychal Thompson, former Lakers star and now the NBA team’s radio analyst, is here to watch sons Klay and Trayce play for Santa Margarita against Ocean View in the Tournament of Champions’ third-place game tonight.

But he is comfortable in celebrity skin, easily interacting with fans and media. ‘No, people don’t bother me. I like to talk basketball; it’s not an intrusion,’ Thompson said. ‘I only mind if I’m filming their games. But during timeouts or deadball periods, it’s OK.’

-- Mike Terry

-- Image from www.nba.com