Tristan Thompson is on a mission to become the legal guardian of his 17-year-old brother Amari following their mother Andrea’s sudden death earlier this year.
The 32-year-old basketball player filed the documents on Friday. In addition, their father Trevor Thompson has been absent from Amari’s life since 2014, People reported. Thompson said he is the closest living family member for his sibling, who struggles with epilepsy and other medical conditions.
“Amari is a minor and has medical conditions that render him unable to take care of himself or seek gainful employment,” the documents state, according to People.
Amari, who has been given $103,475 from his mother’s estate, currently lives in Hidden Hills, California with Thompson.
“Appointing a guardian for Amari would be in his best interest because it would ensure that someone would be responsible for providing and fulfilling his basic needs,” Thompson’s statement continued. “Further, Amari is set to receive a modest inheritance from his recently deceased mother and a guardian wouldn’t be able to manage and invest in Mary’s inheritance on his behalf.”
Thompson also wants to apply for U.S. citizenship for Amari. The teen was born in Canada, per court documents. The brothers lost their mother on January 5 when she died in her home from a sudden heart attack.
Thompson shares his 14-month-old son, Tatum, and 5-year-old daughter, True, with Khloé Kardashian, who wrote an emotional statement after Andrea’s death, Hollywood Life reported.
“I know you never wanted to leave your boys. They are your entire world. They will learn to live with the hole in their hearts because they are warriors just like their warrior mommy. Just know, I promise you, Amari will be perfectly ok,” she wrote. “We will all look after him, help him and protect him. Your boys will be ok because they have their guardian Angel by their side.”
After he most recently played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson is now an NBA free agent.
