As announced by himself Saturday, three-time NBA champion, five-time all-star and two-time All-NBA team selection Klay Thompson is back.
Thompson will officially return to action Sunday when his Golden State Warriors take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This will be the first time Thompson takes to an NBA court since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors ended up clinching the championship in that fateful game on June 13, 2019, but there’s a good possibility a Game 7 could’ve been forced in the series had it not been for what transpired with 2:23 left to play in the third quarter of that contest when Thompson just missed a transition dunk with Danny Green challenging him at the rim.
Thompson ended up falling awkwardly and tore the ACL in his left knee, forcing him out of the game – only after he heroically walked back from the tunnel to hit his free-throws, of course.
That image of Thompson walking off the floor in slight protest despite having suffered a serious image is the last time we actually saw him in uniform in an NBA game until he suits back up on Sunday.
This is because, while the surgery on Thompson knee was announced as successful on July 2, 2019 – a day after he was reported to be signing a five-year, $190-million contract to remain with Golden State – the rehab process still forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 campaign and then, even more devastatingly, he was sidelined for all of the 2020-21 season after it was announced on Nov. 19, 2020 that he tore his Achilles playing in a pickup game in Los Angeles “on a two-dribble pull-up shot,” a move that Thompson said he would do “100 times a day.”
A freak accident that pushed back his return to the court to a total of what will be 941 days, or a full two years and 211 days.
That’s a long time to wait, so it’s a small wonder why it feels like Thompson is pretty pumped up for this moment.
As for the rest of the league, however, while there’s sure to be plenty of celebration from just about everyone seeing him back out there. Thompson’s return signals the reunion of the core Dubs trio of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson that have won three championships together, and the Warriors were probably the championship frontrunners even without Thompson this season with Curry looking like the MVP again. Odds are all of those exclamations of praise will transform into cries of fear.
“He’s Klay Thompson. He’s an all-star, he’s one of the great shooters of all-time and he’s an excellent two-way player. So, we automatically get better when Klay comes back and joins the lineup,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “So, we’re all looking forward to that, and then it’ll just be a matter of him finding his rhythm, getting his footing after being out for over two years. It’s not gonna be easy, but he’s been working his butt off for a long time and nobody deserves this more than Klay.
“So, we’re really excited to get him back … and we will become a better team the instant he walks onto the floor.”
A terrifying thought for the rest of the NBA, but one that most of the league should be somewhat prepared for.
“I think it makes them substantially better. I mean, he’s a great, great player. He’s up there at a level defensively and shooting right at the top. And IQ and toughness and competitiveness and all that stuff, he’s got all the characteristics of a great player. He’s got experience, he’s got playoff [pedigree], championship experience and all of that kind of stuff. So, that should help them a lot.”
Considering the fact the Warriors boast the greatest three-point shooter of all time in Curry and a player comparable to Dennis Rodman for this generation in Green, not to mention the Dubs boast the second-best record in the NBA, getting Thompson back, who happens to be No. 21 on the all-time three-pointers made list despite missing two full seasons, seems a little unfair.
Of course, coming off an Achilles injury, it’s unclear what kind of player Thompson may be. But Kevin Durant also suffered an Achilles ailment and even though it took a while, he still looks every bit the same all-time player Durant is. Here’s hoping that the same will be said of his former teammate upon his return, because a healthy Thompson is great news for fans of basketball and the NBA, in general.
For opposing teams that have to try to game plan for Thompson and the Warriors again, though?
Well, best of luck everyone because not only is Thompson is back, so are the Warriors and, possibly, their golden dynasty.
