Klay Thompson is one half of arguably the most devastating backcourt in NBA history, ‘the Splash Bros’, alongside Steph Curry. The duo is two of the best three-point shooters of all time and has changed how NBA offenses operate over the past decade. Klay Thompson has missed the last two seasons due to injury, but he has no fear of injury ahead of his Warriors return.
Klay Thompson was a crucial part of the Warriors dynasty that went to five straight NBA finals, winning three. Injuries have ruled Klay out of action for over two years, but his main focus is being a Warrior again.
“I don’t fear getting hurt again. The last two times I did get hurt it was such a freak accident. I’m just like. I hate to say the phrase ‘can’t wait’ cause I love to be present in my life. But I cannot wait to play in front of our fans again. I really, really enjoy being a Warrior.”
Klay Thompson
Thompson has spent the last 29 months rehabbing from two separate serious injuries. He missed the entire 2019/20 season after tearing his left ACL in game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Then as he neared return from that injury during the 2020 off-season, the 31-year-old tore his right Achilles during a pickup game, which ruled him out for the entire 2020/21 season.
The Warriors have failed to reach the playoffs in either of the past two seasons. However, Golden State was the best team in basketball when Klay last set foot on an NBA court, and the five-time All-Star believes he is returning to a group of a similar ilk.
“We’re 15-2. It’s a great indicator. Our defense is top 3 in the league along with our offense. And I’m not even out there yet. Think about that. Really think about that.”
Klay Thompson
Besides his championship pedigree and elite shooting, Klay Thompson is also a top defender. He may not return the player he once was, having missed nearly two and half seasons. But adding 80% of the player he was to the team with the best defensive rating in the league (100.5) and second-best offensive rating (113.5) is still pretty scary for the rest of the NBA.