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Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson was ruled for the entire 2020-2021 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, the team said Thursday, in a devastating blow to the five-time All-Star who was trying to come back after a year. absence of injuries.
Thompson, who missed all of last season after a knee injury suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, limped out of practice Wednesday with a right leg injury. An MRI early Thursday confirmed Thompson’s season-ending right Achilles tear.
News of Thompson’s latest injury had sparked a wave of concern across the NBA Wednesday with players lining up to offer words of support to the 30-year-old.
Thompson was a key part of the Warriors team that dominated the league with five straight runs leading to the NBA finals and titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Without him, and after teammate Steph Curry was out for four months with a broken hand, the Warriors finished last in the Western Conference in 2020.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers said the franchise was in shock over Thompson’s latest injury.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Myers described the scene when he learned the news of Thompson’s injury.
“These are those phone calls where the color disappears from your face,” Myers said quietly.
“I got a message from his agent saying ‘Hey, Klay might have been injured. Giving me a call.'”
Myers said Thompson’s close friends and teammates, Curry and Draymond Green, were stunned in silence when he called with the news.
‘Much silence’
“Sometimes the words don’t work,” Myers said. “It is not news that you want to give by phone. There was a lot of silence. “
Myers backed Thompson to finally come back from injury, even if by the time he steps back onto the court it will likely have been more than two years since he played a competitive game.
“Klay will keep playing,” Myers said. “But when interrupted like this for an athlete of his caliber, it hurts. And it hurts us that we care about him. I know that we are going to keep moving, but it hurts me and it hurts our organization.
“Klay has willpower, but right now it’s a tough day for him.”
Myers said he had found the reverse of the injury difficult to bear as he had witnessed the evolution of Thompson’s career since he was chosen by the Warriors as the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft.
“I have seen him turn into a man. I’ve seen him win championships, I’ve seen him lose, I’ve seen him get hurt in the NBA Finals, I’ve seen him rehab. I’m going to see him rehab again. I’ve seen him break the NBA record for triples in one game, ”Myers said. “This is how you get to know someone. So yeah, it hurts. It hurt.
“The longer you experience life with people, the more pain you have.
“Being here from day one when Klay appeared, watching his journey, watching his growth. Nobody deserves this. This is a guy who loves basketball, who bleeds basketball. “
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