Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Klay Thompson Reacts to His Resilient Return to NBA Finals
There was a time where even Klay Thompson, himself, questioned whether or not he'd be back.
After two years and a pair of catastrophic injuries, surgeries and recoveries later, though, Thompson and the Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals — their sixth trip in eight seasons.
"Just such a surreal feeling. It's hard to put into words really," Thompson said after the game. "They would tell me it'd pay off and it was hard to see that at the time but now to actually be here, I can feel it paying off."
For Thompson, after suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the former Washington State guard tore his Achilles tendon just weeks before the beginning of the 2021 season. Needless to say, his journey back to the NBA — let alone the Finals – has been a tumultuous one.
"This time last year, I was just starting to jog again and get up and down the court," He said. "And now to be feeling like myself, feeling explosive, feeling sure of my movements, I'm just grateful."
Thompson, indeed looked like himself in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks, scoring a game-high 32 points. He also knocked down eight three-pointers — something he did in Game 6 last series against the Memphis Grizzlies in another closeout game for Golden State.
Against Dallas, Thompson averaged 18.6 points while shooting 48.8 from the floor, Thompson contributed exactly what the Warriors needed to reach the Finals again and have a chance to earn their fourth NBA championship since 2015. It was a moment that even got the three-time champ choked up on the court postgame.
"All of those emotions just kinda rushed through me and I thought about our training staff. I thought about Rick Scalabrini. I thought about Steve [Kerr] and I thought about those days me and Rick were together in Santa Cruz and I was in a terrible mood," Thompson said. "We were together in the summer time and just all those long days."
Golden State's goal isn't complete yet, though as they'll have to win four more games against either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat in order to hoist yet another Larry O'Brien trophy.
"It's up there but it'll be much sweeter if can complete the mission come next round," Thompson said. "It's definitely a moment I want to enjoy tonight with my family and my friends. They were there during the dog days. It was like 1000 calf raises a day and it was painful at times but I just saw this in sight and kept going. Just proud of not only my effort but the whole team. We really gelled together at the right time and we have exciting times ahead of us."
