Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson is inching close to a return from injuries that cost him more than two seasons. Before Friday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, the five-time All-Star flashed the progress he’s made in his recovery.
Dressed in full uniform, Thompson went through a shooting routine on the Chase Center floor. Thompson has yet to play a game in the Chase Center, which debuted in March 2020, as he missed the 2019-20 season with a torn ACL and last season with a torn achilles tendon.
The video comes amid an already positive week of Thompson news. On Monday, the Warriors assigned Thompson to the Santa Cruz Warriors, their G-League affiliate, to increase his practice reps. A day later, Thompson was cleared for 100% contact.
Thompson is expected to return sometime around Christmas, and he can hardly contain his excitement.
“I don’t fear getting hurt again, because the last two times I did get hurt were just a freak accident, you could say,” Thompson said. “I hate to use the phrase ‘I can’t wait’ because 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.”
The Warriors have fared well, to say the least, without the sharp-shooting Thompson. Golden State is 18-3 and a game behind Phoenix for the best record in the league. Stephen Curry, Thompson’s Splash Brothers counterpart, is making a case for another NBA MVP by averaging 27.8 points and 6.6 assists.
Golden State will play Phoenix for the second time in four nights at 10 p.m. ET on Friday. The Warriors are hoping to avenge the 104-96 loss the Suns served them on Tuesday.
