The NBA world last drew a collective breath when it was revealed that Klay Thompson was missing out on a second straight season with a new Achilles tendon injury.
This of course also included his long-time team-mate, friend and “Splash Brother” Steph Curry.
“He’s the best two-guard in the league,” said Curry in an interview with Marc Spears of The Undefeated. “Getting that call was definitely a slap in the face. Lots of tears. You don’t really know what to say because such a guy is now going through two pretty serious rehabs. But at the end of the day we need to have his back. We hope he is there and is a part of what we do through his rehab and keep in touch with us. “
Thompson, 30, missed the entire 2019-20 season after tearing up his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. He had recovered from the injury and was slated to return to the Warriors line-up this season, but tore an Achilles tendon during practice on November 18. He is expected to make a full recovery for the 2021-22 season but will have been off the court for more than two years at that time.
“You feel for a man who worked so hard to get back on the field two to three weeks later [training camp] and something like that happens, ”said Curry, who was limited to five games last season due to a hand injury. “When something like this happens, you have to have an overall mentality. It’s easier said than done to go through a ton of rehab, but there’s still plenty of time in your career. We will be there through everything. “
After five direct appearances in the NBA final, including three wins, the Warriors hit a low point last season after injuries to Thompson and Curry and the departure of Kevin Durant. During this off-season, the club made some changes to the roster. The biggest of these is the pick from center James Wiseman, who finished second overall in last week’s NBA draft. Wiseman, along with recently acquired veterans Kelly Oubre, Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore, should add depth to the warriors if they are looking to recover in 2020-21.
It will be more than seven months between the Warriors’ last and next game once the season kicks off in late December, but Curry is optimistic that his team will improve their game on the pitch in this campaign.
“It will be difficult at first. We waited seven months to be out there again, ”said Curry. “Not seeing [Thompson] It gets weird on the pitch at first. But I think we did a really good job in the off-season with James and our draft picks and in the pool of free agencies to put together a really solid roster. We will have to learn a lot very quickly and we will need full commitment from everyone. “
