Watts Going On – NBA Star Klay Thompson Uses Electric Bike to Commute to Game

This past week, electric bikes made waves again in the NBA when Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, a pivotal anchor for the 4-time NBA champion Warriors, arrived at his team's matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on an electric bike instead of a limousine or tricked-out Escalade.

Thompson is no stranger to using alternative methods of travel, as was shown during his recovery from a torn ACL in 2021 when he and his dog Rocco would commute across the bay from his home to the team's facility and rehabilitate. Now it seems that he is also using an electric bike to finish off the last few miles of his commute to work with an electric bike from Santa Cruz.

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While Thompson holds the NBA record for most 3-pointers in one game (14) AND the NBA record for most points in one quarter (37), he is not the first player in the past month to show some love to the electric bike community. Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic, who just last week scored 73 points in one game, gifted his entire team and coaching staff electric bikes as a Christmas present, which was a post-game surprise for everyone as they returned to the locker room.

On top of that, former NBA great Tracey McGrady is also a proponent of electric bikes, as an Ambassador for Urtopia , a lightweight carbon fibre electric bike company based in Hong Kong, China.

Related: NBA Star Luka Doncic Gifts E-bikes to Entire Dallas Mavericks Team

While it is great to see electric bikes making the highlight reels in the NBA, easily forgotten in all this are the actual bikes. So here is a quick rundown of the three bikes:

Klay Thompson – Santa Cruz Skitch

It seems fitting that Thompson would be riding on a Santa Cruz, with their headquarters not too far away from San Francisco. The Skitch isn't a normal commuter bike to grab groceries or for a casual ride to the park. This e-bike is a mini-rocket ship, designed to carve city corners, rip through back alleys and overall get you to your destination as fast as possible.

It comes with various options, from drop bar gravel setup to flat bar city commuter. This stealthy bike seamlessly integrates both the motor and battery into the frame, making it nearly impossible to tell that it is an electric bike. Yet with a 430Wh battery and motor that pushes out 60 Nm of torque, you'll definitely notice the power when ripping through traffic on your way to work, especially when work is defined by winning championships and setting NBA records.

While the $5999 price tag may be a bit steep for many riders, this isn't far off most high-end gravel or road bikes, making it a great alternative for those who still want to enjoy those long gravel rides but are having trouble keeping up with their younger counterparts. It is also a great option if you make somewhere in the $41 million per year range but I digress.

Quick Specs

• Motor: Fazua Ride 60 (450W)

• Battery: Fazua Energy (430 Wh)

• Torque: 60 Nm

• Range: Up to 60 miles

• Class 3: Up to 28 mph without throttle assist

• Weight: 30 lbs

Luka Doncic – Mercedes Benz E-class Edition

While Klay Thompson was setting a precedent for his Golden State Warriors teammates by arriving to work on an e-bike, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic decided to skip the step of trying to influence his teammates and forced the issue onto his team and staff by buying them a whole fleet of Mercedes-Benz E-class Edition bikes. Doncic surprised his team and staff for Christmas, stunning them all with his generosity and kindness over the holidays.

The Mercedes-Benz E-class Edition is another sleek and stealthy electric bike, which comes as no surprise from one of the industry leaders in vehicles and Formula 1 racing team. The bike comes with an integrated battery and mid-drive motor, a Gates Carbon Drive, Enviolo transmission, class-leading 80 Nm of torque and a handlebar integrated digital dashboard. But honestly, no one would expect any less from the European luxury vehicle manufacturer.

While the price tag for the E-class Edition is set at $2999, around half the price of the Skitch, Doncic did buy e-bikes for the entire team and staff, which must be around 40-50 bikes. But no need to worry, Doncic is also working in that $40 million per year annual salary range and if he keeps scoring the way he has been lately, will be in line to be one of the highest-paid players in the league when his contract ends in 2027.

Quick Specs

• Motor: 250 W mid-drive motor

• Battery: 252 Wh

• Torque: 80 Nm

• Range: Up to 45 miles

• Class 1: Up to 20 mph without throttle assist

• Weight: 45 lbs

Tracy McGrady – Urtopia Carbon 1 Pro

Tracy McGrady, former NBA star and Hall of Famer, has teamed up with Hong Kong-based company Urtopia as an ambassador of their unique-looking electric bikes. McGrady, who played professionally in both the NBA and a short stint in China, was one of the greatest scoring guards of his era. His career spanned 16 years and he retired in 2013 after years of battling injuries that plagued the later part of his career.

After pairing up as a Houston Rocket with Chinese star Yoa Ming and then a stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, it is no surprise that McGrady made connections with several Chinese companies, including Urtopia.  Their cutting-edge designs, spearheaded by former BMW designer Mathias Heller, are beautiful and eye-catching, while also being very efficient and tech-savvy.

The Carbon 1 Pro comes outfitted with a full carbon frame, integrated battery and rear hub motor, cutting-edge technology like fingerprint unlock and on-screen navigation, as well as a bluetooth sound/music and integrated lights.

Available as a pre-order for only $2499, the Urtopia Carbo 1 Pro comes in only slightly more expensive than the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Edition.

Quick Specs

• Motor: Custom 350 W rear-hub motor

• Battery: 352 Wh

• Torque: 42 Nm

• Range: Up to 80 miles

• Class 3: Up to 25 mph without throttle assist

• Weight: 37 lbs

NBA All-Star Weekend

With the All-Star Weekend fast approaching on the weekend of February 16-18, there is no doubt that Luka Doncic will be in attendance, as he was voted as one of the Western Conference All-Star Starters just last week. And while Klay Thompson most likely won't be chosen as an All-Star this year, he and Tracy McGrady could spearhead a new competition at the weekend to spice things up.

Why not have an e-bike race and pt all three of the bikes in this story against each other in a variety of tests? From hill climbs to flat-out sprints and even a driver test-style cone carving course, maybe fans of the NBA are looking to expand their All-Star game horizons with some e-bike integration. Plus, they would probably need a judge for these competitions, right? Right????