Lessey Hodgkinson and Tara Murray
A special bond between new Keilor Thunder imports Jacob Lampkin and Tyler Kidd will be on show in the National Basketball League 1 South competition.
Lampkin and Kidd have both joined the Thunder this season as the club makes the move to the NBL1 South competition.
For the two, it’s a chance to continue a friendship that started when they were just 14 as they grew up in Washington.
Whilst they grew up idolising different NBA teams, Lampkin being a Heat fan and Kidd supporting OKC Thunder, basketball was a common theme in their lives from the get go.
What may seem like an odd pair, due to the sheer size difference between them, they have an incredible story about basketball and friendship.
They first met at Summer League.
Kidd remembers Lampkin as “he was so tall and so skinny” whilst Lampkin remembers Kidd’s impressive skill set.
It was the following fall at O’Dea High School throughout ‘O-week’ that they were reintroduced once again.
“We had a heap of classes together, religion, math, Spanish” Lampkin explained.
Kidd added, “bro we had language arts too yeah?”
With almost a perfect matching class schedule and basketball training commitments, the friendship really began.
It wasn’t long before they were spending every weekend together, playing Call of Duty, and NBA 2K, with Lampkin saying they were like most teenage boys and loved playing video games.
Kidd was quick to emphasise he was the better player.
As they got a little older and the city bus was no longer cool, road trips and cruising around in Lampkin’s 2003 Black Chevy Suburban became a regular outing.
When they look back on their times at school they remember junior prom, game nights, playing the same position in one season of footballer together and of course, girls.
One thing they do remember is the dreams they had about playing professionally together one day.
Now that dream has come true. They have an incredible connection on and off the court, they know how each other play, they talk rubbish, they laugh about everything, play games and they even argue like a married couple according to new teammate Kian Dennis.
“We met through the game, now we get to live abroad in Australia and play the game professionally together,” Kidd said.
Meanwhile Jacob humbly stated “It’s awesome having someone to share everything with, all the experiences, every time something reminds us of home, we can laugh together”
The two are set to make their debut for the Thunder in the opening round of the NBL1 South season on April 23 against the Bendigo Braves.
