Klay Thompson Sat on Bench for 35 Minutes Alone After Warriors Defeated Blazers: ‘Thompson Remained Glued to the Bench, Paralyzed by His Obvious Distress’
An emotional moment took place at the Chase Center after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on November 26. Klay Thompson, who hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, sat on the bench for over 35 minutes alone. The All-Star shooting guard misses the game so much and was clearly going through a lot of emotions. He put a towel over his head, covering his face. Occasionally, he used it to wipe his eyes.
According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Thompson has been cleared to be a full-time participant in Warriors practices and is trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day. Now that he’s so close to playing again, Thompson is in a vulnerable place mentally, and Stephen Curry and Draymond Green completely understand.
Klay Thompson getting emotional about his return doesn’t surprise Stephen Curry and Draymond Green
Warriors reporter Marcus Thompson wrote a powerful column after seeing Thompson sit on the bench for 35 minutes. The sharpshooter being so close to playing again “is making this so much more difficult,” Thompson wrote in his piece. The veteran Athletic columnist spoke to Curry and Green after the Blazers game to get their thoughts on the situation.
“He’s right there,” Green said. “He’s right there, getting towards the end of the road — or beginning of the road, however you choose to look at it. You know, he has these days from time to time. I understand it as far as I can understand without going through it. I don’t know many people that love basketball the way Klay loves basketball.”
Added Curry: “I think going into this particular season and him getting closer than he’s ever been to getting back on the floor, I kind of predicted this would be the hardest part on his journey. Because he’s got the basketball back in his hands every day, he’s feeling like himself, he’s playing pickup, he’s around our practices, he’s back with us in those type of situations, but he’s still not on the court. The good thing is we’re talking weeks instead of months now.”
The Warriors have the best record in the NBA this season. They certainly can’t wait to get Thompson back and become even deadlier on offense, and the three-time champion has high expectations for himself.
Klay Thompson: “I want to come back like I was the last time I was playing”
Thompson averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.2% from beyond the arc during the 2018-19 season. The All-NBA guard knows he’ll be on a minutes restriction when he’s cleared to play, but he’s ready to get back to his old form.
“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.”
Thompson has career averages of 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He’s one of the best shooters in NBA history and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame one day. However, the California native still has a chip on his shoulder after not making the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Warriors star was upset over 75th Anniversary Team snub
Thompson felt he deserved to be on the 75th Anniversary Team since he’s a five-time All-Star and three-time champion. While the snub was tough to deal with, the Warriors legend has moved on and is more focused on winning his fourth title.
“I wanted to be on that top [75 list]. I wanted some recognition,” Thompson said. “I didn’t get it, and that’s fine. You know how you get recognition? You go win. I just want to go win again. I want to win a fourth ring. Not being able to compete for the last two years, I feel like I have a lot of pent-up energy to prove — not to anybody else, but to myself, I’m still one of the best.”
A few Warriors fans chanted Thompson’s name as the star sat on the bench after the Blazers game. Dub Nation can’t wait to see the Splash Brothers in action again, and the wait is almost over.
