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The Golden State Warriors‘ season started off worse than many hoped it would due to the devastating injury to All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson. On the night of the 2020 NBA Draft, he tore his right Achilles on a move he’s performed “100 times a day.”
Prior to the Warriors game against the Utah Jazz, the Warriors star spoke to the media about how his injury occurred, what it’s been like recovering, and how he thinks about Kobe “every single day.”
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Thompson Calls 2020 ‘The Worst Year of My Life’
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2020 was an unexpected year for many. From the coronavirus pandemic to civil unrest and police injustice, to the untimely deaths of Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman, it was more than many will ever be able to forget.
During the tumultuousness of the year, Golden State’s star tore his Achilles as he was looking to come back to the NBA having recovered from torn ligaments, his ACL, during the previous NBA Finals. Thompson spoke to reporters about how much loss he suffered in 2020, the headspace he was in, and what his expectations are coming back.
“I realized that all of my hobbies revolved around me being athletic,” Thompson stated via the San Francisco Gate. “I realized that I need to get some hobbies that allow me to be more creative because the human body can turn on you sometimes.”
“It was probably the worst year of my life…It feels good to be back here. I feel love when I’m back in the Warriors facility. My roots are here. It was not easy on anybody. Everyone had their own trials and tribulations through 2020, but that was it for me: losing my grandma Mary, tearing my Achilles, and I still think about Kobe every single day.”
“I plan on being the All-NBA player I was,” he calmly stated to reporters. “I will not settle for anything less. I’m too competitive to take a relegated role. That’s not me… I can’t wait, man. I’ve got a lot of pent-up energy.”
“I’ll be honest, I don’t expect to come back balls to the wall, 38 minutes a night, guarding the best player, running around 100 screens. I’m going to get to that point. I guarantee that.”
Thompson Gives A Major Update on His Recovery Process
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That wasn’t the end of what Thompson had to say. Following up on his belief of the type of player he’ll be once he returns he gave some key updates to what his recovery process as of late has been like and when exactly he’ll put on his uniform.
“I got my boot off, I’m walking, I’m doing calf raises,” Thompson stated via Yahoo Sports. “I’m in the hydro works, so uh, I’ve been doing a lot of mobility work, a lot of balance, I’m not running yet but I’m running in the treadmill, underwater and that’s good for my psyche and from here it’s just going to keep getting more intense and more active, so I’m looking forward to that part.”
Klay took some pregame shots at Chase Center today 🙌
“Could be a few weeks after, maybe a month after, but it’s definitely gonna be geared toward the very beginning of the season.”
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