Remembering Last Game Klay Thompson Played in Atlanta
Since Media Day took place earlier this week, most of the discussion has centered around Kyrie Irving and other anti-vax players. However, one of the overlooked stories was Klay Thompson's appearance at the Golden State Warriors Media Day in San Francisco.
Few NBA players receive universal praise. In a sea full of twitter trolls and hot take artists, Thompson remains above the fray. His altruistic personality coupled with his perfected jump shot is enough to turn the most embittered personalities into #Klaytheists. That's why hoops fans were heartbroken to see the sharpshooter miss two full seasons.
Thompson missed the 2019-20 season after tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals. Things went from bad to worse when he ruptured his Achilles tendon just before the 2020-21 season, which resulted in another lost year of his prime. It's been two full seasons, a pandemic, and a presidential election since we last saw Thompson pulling up from deep in a game.
Before the human greenlight goes back to lighting up the league, let's look back at the last time he competed against the Atlanta Hawks. The date was December 3, 2018. The Warriors rolled into Philips Arena with a record of 16-9 thanks to their unstoppable lineup consisting of Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant.
Meanwhile, the Hawks were at the beginning of their rebuild. After starting the season 5-19, Coach Lloyd Pierce let three of his youngest players get big minutes against the NBA version of the Executor. Rookies Trae Young and Kevin Huerter both played over 25 minutes, while sophomore John Collins logged almost 30 minutes on the court.
After Durant and Curry combined for 28 points in the first quarter, it was Thompson's turn to take over the game. The perennial All-Star poured in 25 of his 27 points over the next three quarters.
Collins led the Hawks with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Young chipped in 20 points while shooting 0-5 from beyond the arc. Still, the youthful team stood no chance. The Hawks bench consisting of Jeremy Lin, Kent Bazemore, and Vince Carter were just as helpless on the court.
We know how the rest of the story goes. The Warriors easily won 57 regular season games before Durant and Thompson both suffered devastating injuries in the 2019 NBA Finals against the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.
Since that time, Durant moved on to Brooklyn and made his comeback last season, leaving the once-dominant Warriors mired in mediocrity. Now the Hawks have completed their rebuild and are objectively the better team.
A lot has changed in the NBA and the world since Thompson last took the court. Here is to hoping for my battles and plenty of highlights from the future Hall of Famer. Mark your calendars for his return to Atlanta on March 25, 2022.
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