Klay Thompson is one of the most important players in the Golden State Warriors franchise. The second half of the Splash Brothers, Thompson, is a dynamic two-way guard who can guard the best guards on the opposing teams and score multiple buckets on the other end of the court.
While Thompson and Stephen Curry looked unstoppable ever since the Warriors dynasty started, all of it came to a screeching halt in the 2019 NBA Finals. Facing off against the Toronto Raptors, Thompson and Curry were leading the charge for the Warriors in Game 6. With the Dubs in transition, the Warriors were in a 3-on-1 scenario, and Steph passed the ball to Thompson for an easy dunk.
While Klay did score the easy basket, it was during his landing that everyone knew something wasn’t right. Upon landing, Thompson immediately held his knee and was in an enormous amount of pain. While the Dubs did extend their lead, it was at a massive cost, an ACL tear to Thompson’s left knee.
While the sacrifice might have gone in vain, the Warriors franchise had enormous trust in Thompson and ended up offering him a 5-year contract worth $190 million. Three years and one championship later, it is safe to say that the gamble paid off for the Warriors. Thompson, who played a pivotal role in the 2022 title run, recently thanked the organization for trusting him after he suffered such a devastating injury.
Klay Thompson thanks the Warriors for giving him a five-year max after his season-ending ACL injury in 2019 NBA Finals: “Who pays a guy after he injures his ACL? But they had faith in me.”
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 21, 2022
The Warriors certainly took a brave call by offering the 5-time All-Star a max extension. While he was expected to make a comeback for the 2020-21 season, tragedy struck again for Klay as he suffered an Achilles injury.
Despite all the odds, the 31-year-old came back from two probable career-ending injuries and played some fantastic basketball in the 2021-22 season. While he suffered from inconsistency last season, the Warriors guard will be well aware that he needs to iron out multiple facets of his game before the start of the 2022-23 season.
With multiple teams returning to full strength, the Warriors will need their superstars to perform at their highest caliber possible. Can Klay Thompson lead the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry to the second title in a row?
