Last season was a classic storybook ending for Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson spent two years relentlessly working to get back onto the floor and when he finally did return to basketball, his hard work instantly paid off with a run to the title.
Sadly, this isn’t a Disney movie and Thompson’s struggles did not simply evaporate after reaching the mountain top.
Klay has hardly played any basketball this summer, battling a mental roadblock that held him out of the Warriors’ first few preseason games.
He made his debut on Friday night, playing 17 minutes and scoring 14 points in an otherwise totally normal outing for the five-time All-Star.
Though his body has healed, the mental roadblock continues to be an obstacle Thompson has to fight to overcome.
Klay Thompson is preparing to walk down a second road to redemption after his previous injuries continue to impact his time with the Golden State Warriors.
For the Warriors, this is startling news.
It was safe to assume that after playing in all 22 postseason games, Thompson’s health concerns were in the past.
But while the worst might be behind him, Klay still has another road to redemption he must follow.
It’s one thing to return mid-season, strategically rest and then complete a two-month gauntlet of playoff games. An impressive feat worthy of infinite praise — though very different from playing a full 82-game schedule.
Nobody expected Thompson to play all 82 games. In fact, nobody really does that anymore in the NBA.
Still, it seems Thompson might face more obstacles than previously expected. His mental roadblock is the most notable as there’s no timetable to healing for something like this.
As always, winning is the cure for everything. A hot start to the season would surely help Thompson take strides in his ongoing recovery.