Mavericks' Klay Thompson gifts championship ring to surgeon who repaired his Achilles

The future Hall of Famer made sure to show love to the person responsible for Thompson's late career.

October 18, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shows his championship ring before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks may have lost their two-game road trip out West to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, but there were still great moments as the trip concluded.

Klay Thompson scored 22 points on Tuesday night against the Lakers, going 5/11 from the three-point line in front of his father, Mychal, who does the radio call for Lakers games. But after the game, Thompson met up with the person responsible for extending his career and gave the man a special gift.

Doctor Richard Ferkel was in attendance for Dallas' game in Los Angeles, the surgeon who repaired Thompson's torn Achilles in November of 2020. And after the game, Thompson gifted Ferkel a championship ring from the Warriors' title in 2022.

A special moment for Klay Thompson after tonight’s game: He gave a 2022 Warriors championship ring to the legendary Dr. Richard Ferkel, who repaired Klay’s Achilles in Nov. 2020.

“Without you, I would not have been the second leading scorer on a championship team, “Thompson… pic.twitter.com/zguQkUdxNw

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 26, 2025

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“Without you, I would not have been the second leading scorer on a championship team, “Thompson said to Ferkel. “I can’t thank you enough, are you kidding me? I didn’t even think that was possible.”

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) looks to pass against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Thompson had major injuries back-to-back, tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles during the recovery process. That knocked him out of two years of competition, but he returned to average 17 PPG in the 2022 NBA Finals for the Warriors, and he's still a productive member of the Mavericks today.

Ferkel also repaired Stephen Curry's ankle in 2012, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, so the doctor has a legitimate claim as one of the most underrated people in the Warriors' dynasty run.

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