Klay Thompson Returns To Full Practice As Warriors Go 15-2
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson took part in full team practice for the first time in two years on Tuesday.
It’s been a long road back to fitness for Klay Thompson after a left ACL tear and a right Achilles tear.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team does not have a firm return date in mind. Instead, he encouraged Klay Thompson to be patient and build endurance.
Thompson could return around Christmas time. If Golden State continues its good form, he could come back and inject some superstar quality into a team vying for the championship.
Want $250 to bet on the NBA?
“It’s so exciting,” Thompson said. “Just to be running up and down the court and playing basketball, it’s truly a blessing and it makes coming to work so easy. The boring stuff’s behind me, and now it’s just getting back in game shape — I got to stay patient because I can be an overeager person to get out there and play, but I’m just incredibly grateful to be out there. The work the training staff and I have done over the last two years is really paying off, and it’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to be playing basketball again.”
“We don’t have a target date,” Kerr said. “What we have is a number of weeks ahead of us for certain where we’re going to play it out, keep letting him scrimmage as often as possible so that he’ll build that endurance. And I would think within a few weeks we’ll be able to finally sort of get a target date, but we don’t have one right now.”
Read: NFL Week 12 Lines – Making The Case For Each Underdog
“I don’t want to come back and be a shell of myself,” Thompson said. “I want to come back like I was the last time I was playing and I was one of the best players in the world.
“We’re 15-2. That’s a great indicator of [championship readiness], and our defense, I think it’s top three in the league as well as our offense — and I’m not even out there yet. Think about that. Really think about that. I’m more motivated than ever as well. I want a championship so bad. More than anything.”
