Tristan Thompson Says His Most Unexpected Celebrity Friend Is One of the Trumps: 'He's Been Like a Big Brother'
Tristan Thompson Says His Most Unexpected Celebrity Friend Is One of the Trumps: 'He's Been Like a Big Brother'
Natasha DyeWed, April 1, 2026 at 5:43 PM UTC
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Tristan Thompson; Eric and Donald Trump Jr.Credit: Mike McGregor/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty -
Tristan Thompson revealed his friendship with a member of the Trump family during an interview on Katie Miller's podcast on March 31
The former NBA star said he's "very close with" one of President Donald Trump's sons
He's been like a big brother, mentor, been very welcoming," Thompson said
Former NBA player Tristan Thompson revealed he's "very close" with a member of the Trump family, when asked about his most unexpected celebrity friendship.
Thompson, 35, spoke about his bond with President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, while speaking with Katie Miller for the Tuesday, March 31 episode of her podcast.
The Canadian player, who shares two children with reality star Khloé Kardashian, said he's "very close with" Eric, 42, on the episode. "He's been actually great for me. He's been like a big brother, mentor, been very welcoming," Thompson continued.
Tristan Thompson on Sept. 11, 2025 in New York CityCredit: Rob Kim/Getty
Thompson said being around Eric has made him interested in politics.
"That’s just someone I would say, especially from, you know, the political government world that's really put his arm around me and made me, you know, he’s kind of helped motivate me to, like, want to dive into this realm a little bit more," Thompson said.
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Elsewhere in the podcast, Thompson also said he is against transgender athletes participating in sports, claiming it could affect his daughter, before adding that he sees "both sides" of the discourse. He also praised the work of the president, telling Miller, “With President Trump, what he's doing first of all, I love what he's done so far for our country. I think he's helped our country a lot.”
Thompson never formally announced his retirement from basketball, but the former Cleveland Cavaliers star has taken on new roles since he last played in the NBA in April 2025. He told PEOPLE that June that he joined Axon as a Chief Advisory Officer to help people like his brother, Amari, who is disabled.
Thompson explained at the time: "I think that's why you see this whole narrative change where athletes want to be more than just sports. We want to be businessmen. They want to be creators and developers. And for myself, that's what I want to be. I want to be an innovator. I want to do something that's always being five steps ahead of the curve."
Thompson was also recently announced alongside former Spice Girl Mel B and reality star Dylan Efron as a member of Netflix's new Squid Game: The VIP Challenge cast, where they'll “step into the high stakes game and put their wit, strategy and skillset to the ultimate test,” per the official press release.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
