Klay Thompson's dad ranks Lauren Betts alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after her astounding NCAA display

Mychal Thompson, Klay Thompson’s father, had a front-row ticket to the greatness of LA Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The elder Thompson won two championships with the Purple and Gold franchise as the Captain’s backup. He considers Abdul-Jabbar, born Lewis Alcindor Jr., as one of the greatest to play in college basketball and the NBA.

Now a color commentator for the Lakers, Thompson continues to monitor the LA basketball scene. When Lauren Betts led UCLA to an 84-67 win against Richmond on Sunday, the analyst made a remark that quickly became viral.

Thompson tweeted:

“UCLA Center ranking…1)Kareem…2)Walton…3)Lauren Betts…”

Betts had 30 points and 14 rebounds in the win for the No. 1 seed Bruins (32-2) against the eighth-seeded Spiders (28-7). Betts had 10 points from the floor, going 14 of 17. Kiki Rice recorded 23 points and seven assists as UCLA entered the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late Bill Walton are unanimously considered the best players from UCLA regardless of position. Putting Lauren Betts in the same sentence as the legends is perhaps the highest praise Klay Thompson’s father can give to the 6-foot-7 center.

"Cap" won the NCAA Division I men’s championship thrice in his three-year stay with the Bruins. He might have gotten four if not for a freshman being ineligible to play with the varsity team.

Bill Walton is another Bruins legend who helped the program to the 1972 and 1973 championships. The Portland Trail Blazers legend was the Player of the Year when UCLA ruled the NCAA during those years.

Meanwhile, Lauren Betts is still looking for her first championship with the No. 1 ranked Bruins this season. She leads the Bruins with 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.8 assists per game. She could carry UCLA to its first women's basketball championship, an achievement that will put her place with the legends without a doubt.

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Klay Thompson’s father helped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar win two championships with LA Lakers

The late Jerry West wanted a backup center for the aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the Houston Rockets dominated the Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference finals. Before the trade deadline in 1987, West sent Frank Brickowski, Petur Guomundsson, a 1987 first-round pick and a 1990 second-rounder to San Antonio for Mychal Thompson.

In the 1987 NBA Finals, Klay Thompson’s dad averaged 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Abdul-Jabbar and Thompson led the Lakers to a title-clinching 106-93 Game 6 win against the Boston Celtics. "Cap" finished the game with 32 points, six rebounds and four blocks, while Thompson contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal.

In his first full season with the Lakers, Thompson remained a key part of the "Showtime" team. He never started in 80 games but averaged 11.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 1.0 BPG. Thompson gave Pat Riley’s roster a boost when the then-40-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rested.

The LA Lakers won the 1988 championship in a classic seven-game series against the upstart Detroit Pistons. Abdul-Jabbar, still lethal in spurts, got a lift from AC Green, Kurt Rambis and Mychal Thompson in the post.