Getty LeBron James staring down Klay Thompson.
The NBA has been missing one of its biggest stars for over two seasons in Klay Thompson. The five-time All-Star has dealt with a torn ACL and then injured his Achilles. It’s been a long path to his return to the Golden State Warriors but signs are looking good. Thompson has been lightly practicing with the team and could be returning soon. A video came out of him dropping threes at Warriors shootaround that went viral online.
One player who caught a glimpse of the video was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. He said that he could watch him shoot “all day long.”
LeBron battled Thompson in the NBA Finals four times but the two have a strong relationship despite the rivalry. The Warriors star appeared in LeBron’s recent Space Jam: A New Legacy film. The league is better when Thompson is on the court and fans are eagerly awaiting his return. It’s clear that players are also excited to see him hoop again.
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Steve Kerr Talks Thompson’s ‘Imminent Return’
LeBron shouldn’t have to wait much longer to see Thompson back on the court. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater recently reported that he could return as early as mid-December. At 6-1, the Warriors have no reason to rush him back to the court so it’s still possible they wait until the new year to bring him back.
Regardless, he will be back in the near future. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says that the team is excited to see the star guard return.
“Klay’s imminent return is a huge factor for our team,” Kerr said Tuesday, via NBC Sports. “There’s a sense of anticipation and energy that is directly linked to Klay’s return.
“Andre [Iguodala] coming back to the team adds to that. There’s just a really good sense of who we are and what’s ahead, and everybody is very excited about that.”
It remains to be seen what we’ll see from Thompson after being out for over two seasons. He was one of the NBA’s best shooters and defenders prior to the injury. It would be remarkable if could still do both at an elite level after the injuries.
Do Lakers Need to Worry About the Warriors?
Heading into the season, the Lakers appeared to be one of the clear favorites in the Western Conference. The trio of LeBron, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook is the most talented in the conference. The Warriors haven’t been in the playoffs in either of the last two seasons so it was difficult to know what to expect from them this season.
Right now, the team is playing very well and has one of their best players returning soon. The Lakers need to keep an eye on the Warriors. They could end up being serious threats for the top spot in the Western Conference. With the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets looking lackluster to start the season, Golden State could be the biggest threat in the West for the Lakers.
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