Klay Thompson just won his fourth NBA championship as Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in NBA Finals. While Thompson did not have his best of performances in the playoffs, it was a treat to watch the 32-year-old finally play playoff basketball after 3 whole years.
Given the atrocities that Klay went through in the last three years, many doubted whether Thompson will be at his best. It is fair to say that the 5-time All-Star silenced his doubters by putting up some vintage performances upon his comeback.
Not only that, the 6’6″ guard showed why he is so pivotal to the Dubs’ system with some effective two-way performances. After winning his fourth NBA title with the Warriors, Thompson was understandably emotional.
During the title celebrations, Thompson explained the emotional roller coaster he has been through in the last three years. (15:41 onwards):
“Well, I had to have my big bro talk me off. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t drive, I was immobilized and I love to be mobile and he would just tell me patience, patience, patience, it’s gonna all payoff.”
“Shout out to Steph. There were some dark days. There were dark days, there were a lot of tears shed on the bench. Steph talked me right, Draymond, Andre. I’m just thankful to be here. Holy cannoli this is crazy!”
Thompson certainly has had quite a comeback. Missing two seasons in a row with a torn ACL, and a torn Achilles, many thought we had seen the best of Klay. Even this season Klay’s return was delayed by multiple weeks before he finally made his return on the court.
But all of the patience and the effort truly paid off for the 32-year-old. Given that he only played 31 games in the regular season and still managed to average over 20 points per game shows the real quality a player like Thompson has.
With the likes of Curry, and Thompson showing no signs of slowing, the Splash Brothers are only getting stronger with a deep rotation of players available. Given the versatility the Dubs showed in their championship run this season, it won’t be a surprise if they are one of the favorites to repeat next season.
