The Golden State Warriors, as we already knew, will be without their five-time All-Star Klay Thompson until well after the 2020 All-Star break.
Just days after Klay Thompson went down with a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, we knew he’d be out potentially all next season. However, the Golden State Warriors star shooting guard is expected back after the All-Star break.
At most taking up to ten months for a full recovery, Thompson, according to his dad, will back “late next season.” Here’s the full quote that Mychal Thompson told NBC Bay Area Warriors Insider Podcast.
"“He’s walking normally and he’s very optimistic and enthusiastic about getting back late next season,” Thompson said on the NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors Insider podcast."
However, Thompson knows that it’ll take more than just being optimistic for his son to come back at full strength. It’ll take dedication to the process, similarly to DeMarcus Cousins’ mentality after partially tearing his quad in the first round of the 2019 playoffs.
"“Once he gets back up to the bay and is around the team and he’s working out . . . he probably won’t be on the court doing fullcourt drills until late December or January. So, he’s got quite a ways to go. The main thing is to stay dedicated and diligent in your rehab and just continue to work hard and keep that motivation to get back on the court with his teammates.”"
This will be huge for Thompson as he’ll be set to return to the Warriors and make an instant impact. After a huge offseason, the Warriors opted to re-sign Thompson for a four-year max while also extending Draymond Green and completing a sign-and-trade for D’Angelo Russell.
Thompson, who raised Klay in the LA area, didn’t pressure him into joining his hometown Lakers during free agency. Playing his last four years with the Lakers and raising Klay in the LA area, it seemed like Mychal would’ve preferred Klay to join the beloved Lakers though.
He let his now 29-year-old son make an unpressed decision which eventually led him to re-sign in the Bay.
A legend himself, Mychal Thompson averaged 20-plus points per game one season and averaged double figures in 10 of his 12 professional seasons. So, Thompson’s fatherly opinion and NBA knowledge would’ve certainly held some weight.
Overall, it’s great news to hear that Mychal expects a late-season return for Thompson, although that’s what many already expected.