KLAY Thompson announced on Saturday afternoon he will return from a 941-day absence when the Golden State Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.
Nearly 31 months after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, and almost 14 months after suffering a ruptured right Achilles in the lead-up to the 2020-21 season, Thompson has been cleared to rejoin a team that has started this campaign 29-9 without him.
Moments after Saturday’s practice ended and Golden State coach Steve Kerr told the media, “It’s not my announcement or decision to make,” the Warriors tweeted out a statement from Thompson titled “The Wait Is Over.”
It read: “I hate to use the phrase ‘can’t wait’ because I love to be present in my life but I cannot wait to play in front of our fans again. I really, really enjoy being a Warrior.”
Without giving away Thompson’s secret, Kerr noted moments earlier that the 31-year-old would return as a starter, before coyly adding, “When he comes back… it will be one of the most emotional nights of my basketball life.”
Thompson’s last game was June 13, 2019 against Toronto, in a loss that ended Golden State’s bid for a fourth title in five seasons. He has missed the club’s last 175 regular-season games and both 2021 play-in tournament games, with the Warriors not having returned to the playoffs since his knee injury.
His return comes just as the Warriors have been saddled with their first two-game losing streak of the season. They were without Stephen Curry (bruised right quad) and Draymond Green (strained left hip) in a 101-96 loss at New Orleans on Thursday that completed an 0-2 trip. — Reuters
