“[Thompson] texted me and was thanking me for it,” Sonya said. “My mother’s heart just came out and I was like, ‘Dude.’”

Sonya posted an uplifting comment on one of Thompson’s Instagram posts last month after “NBA on TNT” analyst Charles Barkley said the Splash Brother isn’t the same player anymore after back-to-back lower leg injuries.

“You don’t owe anyone any explanation!” Sonya wrote to Thompson on Oct. 28. “You at your proclaimed ‘not the same’ self is still better than most of the current and past players in the NBA.”

After Sonya told Thompson she wanted to see his “Champion’s smile” again following Barkley’s remarks, brought on by the 32-year-old’s slow start to the 2022-23 NBA season, it’s clear her son’s teammate appreciated the kindness.

Thompson took Barkley’s criticism to heart, calling out the Hall of Famer for his comments following the Warriors’ Oct. 27 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

“To hear someone say, ‘Oh, he’s not the same player as he was prior to the injuries,’ like, duh,” Thompson said postgame. “Who goes through that and comes back … I don’t know, it just hurt my heart hearing that.

“But you know, I’m going to internalize it and it’s going to be fuel for me to be even better.”

Along with Sonya, Thompson’s teammates like Steph and his coach, Steve Kerr, spoke up in defense of the Warriors star and four-time NBA champion.

In fact, Sonya admitted on the “Your Mom” podcast that, behind Steph, Thompson is her favorite Warrior.

With a crew like that in his corner, it’s safe to say Thompson has the support he needs to bounce back better than ever.