Thompsons pain softened after finally fulfilling some of his basketball fix in the 2020 offseason.

That was rough, but thankfully he was around us and not sitting at home watching it by himself.. When he gets in those moments, hes that good..

Esteban Ocon disappointed with possible exit of French Grand Prix next year. Were going to get Game 6! I just want to go win again. He had to shoot them, otherwise he wouldn't have been eligible to return to the game.

"We don't have a target date," Kerr said. It takes a while.

What caught everybodys attention was Klay Thompson just sitting numb, as if pondering over something.

A quick look at the official trades that happened since the 2022 NBA Draft. Klay Thompson recently said in a press conference as quoted by ESPN- You go win. See where all 30 teams rank after the first 11 weeks of the 2021-22 season. Thompson, who said he doesn't "fear getting hurt again" because of the "freak" nature of his past two injuries, said he has been motivated by critics who are doubting whether he and the Warriors can get back to the top.

Klay Thompson suffered his ACL injury in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

This was just before the start of the 2020-21 season. Take a look as Klay puts in work with the Santa Cruz Warriors! And for the past two years, the Warriors have failed to return to The Finals or even make the playoffs. He missed the entire 2019-2020 NBA season. Hell cash-in but hell lose.

But Thompson offered enough entertainment elsewhere. But theres competitiveness, especially, when he wins. Shortly after Myers arrival, Durant connected with Thompson on the phone to offer encouragement and perspective.

And Thompsons outburst offered a window into how he dealt with staying sidelined with injuries for two full seasons.

The Warriors did not know immediately the severity of Thompsons injury, but they took no chances. By being around the team more, Thompson encouraged and mentored his teammates frequently from the sidelines. During the Christmas day game between Suns and the Warriors, the camera moved to point towards the Warriors bench. Meanwhile, Poole said after the game that"it was a basketball play," and he "was going for the ball. Youre scrambling to put the team together to replace his absence, but we never really did.. Klay was headed to the locker room, but returned and made both free throws. So, a lot of hearts were broken when he suffered an injury in game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Also read: Treated him to a meal Lou Williams was almost robbed. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content. ET, NBA TV). He coped with the passing of his grandmother as well as Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Know all about Vanessa Vandal, Am confident in my ability Youngster Kevin Korchinski prepared to handle expectations with Chicago Blackhawks, Truly a unique moment in history Novak Djokovic joins Team Europe for the Laver Cup as the Big-4 comes together for the first time, My career has always been a priority, but it has not prevented me from dating my friends and having fun: Rafael Nadal, They pulled everything out of the safe Karen Khachanov robbed from hotel room in Hamburg, Patrick Mouratoglou builds his Ultimate GOAT featuring Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, She just has to get used to winning Former coach Rick Macci is optimistic about Serena Williams becoming the world number one again, Maybe one day we can make amends Logan Paul hints at building connection with Rey Mysterio. We just want to be very cautious with the injury. Hes put the work in.. He loves to win, said Warriors player development coach Chris DeMarco, who works with Thompson on individual drills. Its one of those dog days where its like, I can play right now and Im feeling good. The foul was clean, but Klay's landing was anything but. Thompson sat on the team bench for about 30 minutes after the game with a towel draped over his head. Then, Curry talked with Thompson and encouraged him. He held us accountable to let us know that were taking this for granted, Warriors forward Kevon Looney told NBA.com Hes out there hurt and rehabbing just to get back on the court. I want to win a fourth ring. This moment between Steph and Klay pic.twitter.com/ELuu3TWRNn, Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 24, 2021, That was tough. It also looked like he was crying underneath the towel on his head. This is fbull, Lawrence recalled Thompsons texting. "What we have is a number of weeks ahead of us for certain where we're going to play it out, keep letting him scrimmage as often as possible so that he'll build that endurance. It changed our whole outlook on the season when youre missing a guy like that, Looney said. Thompson appeared ready to back up that bold prediction against a Raptors team that featured Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol.

Not being able to compete for the last two years, I feel like I have a lot of pent-up energy to prove not to anybody else, but [to] myself, Im still one of the best., Also read: Hot Garbage Stephen A. Smith labels Lebron James Lakers as the. By clicking "Submit", you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

It kills your joy and confidence going into the season., Kevon Looney, on Klay Thompsons injury in 2020. Numerous NBA players have overcome an Achilles injury, including Kobe Bryant, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Wesley Matthews and Jerebko.

By last March, Thompson had his walking boot removed and received medical clearance for various drills, including walking, lifting weights, calf raises, mobility and balance exercises as well as running on a weight-bearing treadmill underwater. Morant finished with 34 points, three rebounds and seven assists before exiting the game. Doris Burke, who was calling the game at the moment, but it perfectly, quoting There is Klay Thompson, sitting on the bench, and if that is not the picture of abject frustration [then what is], like get me between the lines. The Raptors won Game 6 of the 2019 Finals and the title after Klay Thompson's injury in that game. All of which has fueled the Warriors excitement over Thompsons return. I think he was having one of those days. That explains why Thompson mostly stayed away from the team while rehabbing his left knee during the 2019-20 season. And that moment also revealed how much the Warriors have missed Thompson. In Game 5, Durant ruptured his right Achilles tendon in his first game after missing the previous nine with a strained right calf.

All of that weight came crashing down at one time.

I wanted some recognition. NBA Power Rankings: Can the surging Suns catch the Warriors. Steph Curry not having it with the discussion involving Ja Morants play with Jordan Poole pic.twitter.com/OK31thj6PN, Klay Thompson defends Jordan Poole in a Klay sort of way: I dont think hes strong enough to affect somebodys knee.

A decade of dominance hasn't worn the shine off the league's defining superstars. He practiced with the Warriors during their two-week mini-camp, something granted to teams that did not play in the NBA bubble. Its so easy to say, You got to be kidding me? and Why did this happen? But Klays attitude was, Im going to go all out and make sure that I work my ass off and Im going to be around with the team. He had an unbelievable mindset..

I'm more motivated than ever as well.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

FirstSportz is the First Stop for all sports fanatics like you and us. Warriors stars Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry also weighed in on the play. Were the Warriors! Thompson yelled. So much that Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown still remembered vividly what Thompson said after the Game 5 win.

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That journey started right when the Warriors had hoped to end another one to their liking. The most memorable moments happened, however, out of public view. So I'm excited to see him get back on the court. The 3-time champ describes his chase for Kia DPOY, as well as developing a scoring mentality. So we're just trying to stay patient and do the best thing we can for James -- he's such a young guy.

Get his conditioning back, his endurance back. The Warriors will restore their identity soon, though. While Thompson stayed on the bench, his teammates periodically sidled up to a nearby seat.

Before his season-ending injury, he played in 615 out of a possible 640 regular-season games and 122 out of a possible 123 playoff games during his first eight NBA seasons. That caused Thompson to land awkwardly on his left leg before falling to the ground. Or by making a timely defensive stop. While visiting Thompson at his parents place in L.A., Myers noticed that Thompson showed a place of acceptance despite being immobilized and on crutches. Shortly after learning the NBA excluded him on its NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Thompson texted Lawrence if it was logistically feasible for him to change his jersey number to No. 11 in the 2011 NBA Draft, it did not soften the frustration with his current injury. Im not even that type of player, I respect everybody. There's no structural issue and we're just being very, very cautious.

"We're 15-2. Thompson had become a five-time All-Star by becoming one of the NBAs most dependable two-way players. Im in these scrimmages and I can play, but I kind of have to get through that last hurdle. Those days can be a lot tougher. Klay Thompson talks with Dennis Scott about his past injuries, the recovery from them and what lies ahead. The Warriors' general manager says he is looking forward to seeing what his championship core can pull off in 2022-23.

Although the Warriors have lauded Thompson for his disciplined dieting and training before his injuries, Lawrence said that Thompson made various unspecified tweaks in those areas both to compensate for not playing and to give himself a potential edge for his return. Really think about that. Hes earned this comeback, Kerr said of Thompson. The Warriors witnessed plenty of moments during Thompsons Instagram live sessions. On the afternoon of the NBA Draft, Thompson ruptured his right Achilles tendon while playing pick-up with other NBA players in L.A. Thompson suffered the injury after taking a two-dribble pull-up jump shot, a move he said he has done 100 times a day. This time, Thompson fell to the ground after turning to run back on defense. 77. ", I was going for the ball.

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When they informed Curry about the news, Myers recalled there was just silence on the other end of the phone. All parties struggled with their words when they connected with Thompson on a conference call shortly after.

Helmut Marko the Red Bull team adviser has recently shed light on why Max Verstappen was extremely slow compared to Charles Leclerc and Carlos Will lay Pikachu on your grave, Dillon Danis lays a boxing challenge for Logan Paul, If I wasnt getting 0% of the PPV-Hasim Rahman Jr states his lack of actively promoting his bout with Jake Paul, My date is coming close Legendary boxer Mike Tyson believes he is at deaths door, Ngannou, Jones, I would destroy them- Hasim Rahman Jr bites back at Dana White for trying to undermine his skills, Take it or leave it Tyson Fury lays down terms for his potential free fight against Anthony Joshua, Genshin Impact web event: Get 80 primogems in Mesmerizing Dream at Sea event, Genshin Impact Yoimiya rerun: 4-star characters and weapon banner leaked. So initially theres a rage inside of you.. The remaining Warriors fans continuously cheered for him.

Despite Thompsons season-ending injury, the Warriors hardly hesitated with rewarding him with a five-year, $190 million contract. How to get the Marcos Junior FIFA 22 Futties player item? Both these games will be at the Warriors home Chase Center.

His body is in the best shape of his life, Green said of Thompson. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images). Some on the Warriors coaching staff likened Thompsons performance to his career postseason-high 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference finals. But Thompson quickly returned to the court to hit two free throws, while the adrenaline still masked his pain. He is a big sports buff, loves - cricket, basketball, and tennis in particular. You can still tell that he's got work to do, and he's been working hard, he looks good, he looks like an NBA player, he looks like a top-notch athlete already. You go win.

On Monday, Myers talked to Thompson about his pending return following his workout.

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It kills your joy and confidence going into the season. His left leg bent inward as it made contact with the floor. I saw the joy that he was having with being in L.A. and playing pickup and going about his business the way he wanted to go about his business, Green told NBA.com I enjoyed that more than anything. Is he going to be the captain from the 70s ABA team or Washington Generals/Washington Bullets teams? Im going to f come back and kick all of these motherf., Lawrence knew how unfeasible it would be for Thompson to change his jersey number because of licensing and inventory concerns. For Halloween, Thompson dressed up as Larry Bird by wearing a Boston Celtics jersey, sporting his blond hair and mimicking his shooting stroke. The Warriors credited Thompsons speech for fueling them to play better enough in the final month of the season to land an appearance in the NBAs Play-In Tournament. Want every headline right at your fingertips? His body is in great shape with the work that hes put in to get back to where he is.

They had taken everything, not only to the limit, but past the limit., Warriors coach Steve Kerr, on injuries Durant & Thompson suffered in 2019 Finals. He did not return, and his status moving forward is unclear. As Fraser claimed, We were going to win that game. Which father-son NBA duos are most alike on the court? "I wanted to be on that top [75 list]. You kind of know, you can kind of map it out," Kerr said. However, he immediately went to the locker room after the foul shots. More than anything.". Just like he did following the Warriors 53-point loss to Toronto last season, Thompson occasionally critiqued the team for its play.

Ever since Thompson injured his left knee on June 13, 2019, the Warriors have experienced an identity change. He's doing one-on-one stuff, 2-on-2 stuff, drill work, but [the medical staff] is not yet comfortable allowing him to scrimmage. After the game, Thompson fought back tears before Curry approached him on the bench. After all, the Warriors still had Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Thompson. He remained sidelined during the 2020-21 season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon after spending the entire 2019-20 campaign healing a torn ACL in his left knee. The Warriors said that Thompson has often spent recent practices going on shooting streaks and talking trash in the same attire. The ACL, they want you up on your feet the next day, Lawrence said.

He was having a moment, so you just try to throw some positive energy and some positive thoughts, Green said.

In a side note to Thompson's return to practice, Kerr said second-year center James Wiseman still hasn't been cleared to participate fully in practice as he continues to recover from a meniscus tear in his right knee.

No prizes for guessing, Klay was missing what he loves the most playing basketball.

So after the Warriors suffered a 53-point loss last season to the Toronto Raptors, Thompson shared his frustrations with his teammates during a postgame locker room speech.

One, Thompson was not exactly in the right frame of mind to begin rehabbing after feeling fatigued from the Warriors long Finals runs. It's unclear if Morant will play in Game 4 on Monday. The veteran guard should provide Minnesota with solid perimeter defense and a reliable threat from beyond the arc. The work the training staff and I have done over the last two years is really paying off, and it's hard to put into words how grateful I am to be playing basketball again.". 77 jersey at his locker, he then wore the uniform frequently during practice.

Afterwards, Warriors coach Steve Kerr recalled saying to Thompson, Were going to take a foul to get you out. Thompsons response? For the past 2 1/2 years, they have seen Thompson at his most vulnerable while dealing with pain from his injuries, monotony with his rehab and frustration with remaining on the sidelines.

Well be back!. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. While the Warriors have been hopeful that Thompson could return around Christmas, coach Steve Kerr reiterated Tuesday that no return date has been set and they want Thompson to continue to build up his strength and stamina after being off the floor for so long. The day is not far now. And then confusion. "Not being able to compete for the last two years, I feel like I have a lot of pent up energy to prove -- not to anybody else, but to myself, I'm still one of the best.".

The Warriors also found it important that Thompson still brought levity, joy and laughter as he often did before his injuries. It was diagnosed as a torn ACL in his left knee. The 22-year-old has been one of Memphis' best players all season, so there's obviously some cause for concern. After waiting more than 2 years, Klay Thompson is on the cusp of his return to the Warriors lineup.

As a result, Thompson had to miss the entirety of the last season too. Thompson came down awkwardly on his left knee after being fouled on a fast break dunk attempt by Toronto's Danny Green. It was so interesting to observe, Lawrence said. Lawrence pleaded to Myers, I think itll actually be good for him in a good way; itll motivate him., I didnt want it to be offensive or have Klay take it the wrong way, Myers said, chuckling. But all of a sudden, he has to go start doing rehab every day., Two, money hardly can buy Thompsons happiness. Last March, Thompson described the past season as the worst year of my life. Not only did Thompson deal with two season-ending injuries. Hopefully he gets better, and we can see him out there next game.

Jordan Poole on his incident with Ja Morant pic.twitter.com/9rbDxEbzag. A similar incident happened at the end of the Warriors win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 26, 2021. But were not out there trying to hurt people or club people in the back of the head on a fast break.

So James is doing fine.

"The injury, the meniscus tear, is an injury where it's not really like a linear improvement, like an ACL or an Achilles. Three months later, the Warriors changed venues from Oakland (Oracle Arena) to San Francisco (Chase Center). Kerr continues to preach patience as Thompson starts to ramp up what he can do on the floor.

"I want to come back like I was the last time I was playing and I was one of the best players in the world.".

Klay Thompson suffered his second leg injury in November of 2020.

Unlike for most of his NBA career, Klay Thompson could not offer any of that. I cant take you seriously when you have the captains hat on, Myers said, chuckling. If he's sidelined, the Grizzlies will face an uphill battle to get the series back to even following Saturday's loss. Just like we are in WWE- When John Cena revealed that his F9 co-stars were apprehensive regarding him in the beginning, Shes extremely talented in the cage- Riddle says that Former MMA fighter Valerie Loureda has got a promising future in WWE. So even though he's playing full bore, and he practiced full bore just now, he needs to keep doing this over and over and over again every day, really blow it out. "Especially for someone who had been out that long. Thompson, who was cleared for 5-on-5 work with members of the Warriors' support staff last week, has been in great spirits as his return to game action inches closer.

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