When Klay Thompson fell to the court during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, it was evident he would miss some time. The diagnosis after the game confirmed a torn ACL in his left knee, ending any chance of him playing in the following season.
In November 2020, before he could return to the court for Golden State, Thompson tore his right Achilles tendon, forcing him to miss all of the 2020-21 season and calling into question how much time he would miss in the 2021-22 season.
Fast forward to the 2022 NBA Finals, and Thompson not only returned back on the court, but returned as if he hardly left. He averaged 19.0 points per game in the playoffs, the fourth-best rate of his career.
MORE: 5 keys to Game 5 of the NBA Finals
How did he make the comeback? The Sporting News dives into his improbable return.
What were Klay Thompson’s injuries?
During Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson fell awkwardly after he was fouled by Toronto’s Danny Green while going up for a dunk in the third quarter. Thompson remained in the game to shoot his two free throws before heading to the locker room.
The Warriors announced after the game that Thompson had torn the ACL in his left knee. Despite some initial optimism that he could return at some point during the 2019-20 campaign, he was eventually ruled out for the entirety of the season.
Thompson then tore his right Achilles tendon in a November 2020 workout, eliminating any chance of him playing in the 2020-21 season.
MORE: How Thompson earned ‘Game 6 Klay’ nickname
Klay Thompson’s return to the Warriors
Thompson returned to Golden State’s lineup on Jan. 9, 2022, scoring 17 points in a win against the Cavaliers.
As Dr. Michael S. George told The Sporting News, a full return from an Achilles injury was anything but guaranteed. 30 percent of athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB that suffered an Achilles injury never came back to play. In the first year, game participation was only at 75 percent and performance statistics were significantly worse.
Thompson appeared in 32 of the team’s 43 games during the remainder of the regular season — 74.4 percent of the matchups — but has played in all 20 playoff games, increasing his overall games-played percentage to 82.5 percent. Thompson averaged 29.4 minutes per game during the regular season, the lowest rate since his rookie season before he was a starter, but he’s averaged 35.6 minutes per game in the playoffs.
MORE: How ACL, Achilles injuries changed Klay Thompson
As for his performance, Thompson averaged 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game during the regular season. The rebounds are a career-best, the assists are his second-best and the points are the fourth-best of his career. He posted a 52.9 effective field goal percentage in the regular season, the third-lowest of his career, and his 38.5 3-point percentage was the worst of his career.
Klay Thompson injury timeline
— June 13, 2019: Thompson tears the ACL in his left knee during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson had scored a team-best 30 points on 8-for-12 shooting, but fell awkwardly with 2:22 left in the third quarter after attempting a dunk and getting fouled by Danny Green. He made both free throws, but left after the second make. The Warriors were leading the Raptors 85-82 at the time of his exit. Golden State wound up losing the game, and the series.
— June 14, 2019: The Warriors announce the injury to be a torn ACL in his left knee after he underwent an MRI.
— July 1, 2019: The Warriors sign Thompson to a five-year, $190 million deal with the team that keeps him locked in Golden State through the 2023-24 season.
— Sept. 30, 2019: The first timeline announced on Thompson is that he will be out until at least the 2020 All-Star break, according to general manager Bob Myers.
— Oct. 20, 2019: Steve Kerr calls it unlikely that Thompson will return during the 2019-20 season.
— Feb. 20, 2020: Golden State officially rules out a return for Thompson during the 2019-20 campaign, but says he should be able to return for the training camp ahead of the following season.
— Nov. 18, 2020: The biggest setback for Thompson arrives. The Warriors announce Thompson had injured his leg during a workout.
— Nov. 19, 2020: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the injury is a torn Achilles that would keep him out of the season. The first game of the season for Golden State came on Dec. 22.
— Nov. 25, 2020: The Warriors announce Thompson will be out for all of the 2020-21 season with the torn Achilles after successful surgery.
— Aug. 20, 2021: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports on an episode of “The Jump” that the Warriors want Thompson to be able to return for the Christmas Day matchup against the Suns.
— Nov. 28, 2021: The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Thompson was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team’s G League affiliate, to have increased practice reps.
— Dec. 3, 2021: Thompson tells Instagram Live viewers that he is hoping to return to the team in a few weeks or “maybe a month,” according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
— Dec. 17, 2021: Wojnarowski reports that the Warriors are looking at either Jan. 9 or Jan. 18 as return dates for Thompson.
— Jan. 8, 2022: The Warriors announce Thompson will be available to play against the Cavaliers on Jan. 9.
— Jan. 9, 2022: Thompson returns to play against the Cavaliers, scoring 17 points in 20 minutes in his first game in 941 days. The Warriors win 96-82.
— Feb. 12, 2022: The first time Thompson plays at least 30 minutes, he scores 33 points against the Lakers.
— April 16, 2022: Thompson plays in his first playoff game since tearing his ACL in 2019. He scores 19 points in a 16-point win against the Nuggets.
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