Klay Thompson returned to Chase Center for the first time this season as he watched the Warriors take on the Pacers. Grant Liffmann and Dorell Wright talk about how good it was to see Klay again with the Warriors.
Thursday marked the five-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's last appearance in Oakland as a player, when the eventual Basketball Hall of Famer's Los Angeles Lakers clashed with the 73-9 Warriors on the road during his farewell tour.
Klay Thompson, who grew up idolizing Bryant and the Lakers in Southern California, offered a tribute to the late legend Friday on his Instagram story, sharing a photo of Bryant cutting it up with Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green after the Warriors' 116-98 win that night.
"We miss you bro," Thompson wrote.
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Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash just outside of Calabasas, Calif. last Jan. 26. Thompson, Curry and Green all attended Bryant's memorial service the following month.
RELATED: Klay's presence 'uplifting' for Warriors
Like Bryant before him, Thompson has missed significant time over the last two seasons with separate knee and Achilles injuries. Thompson is out for the entirety of the current season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon in November.
When Thompson's injury woes began, he made sure to channel Bryant. Just as Bryant did after he tore his Achilles while playing a regular-season game against the Warriors, Thompson nailed two free throws shortly after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Bryant surely was on Thompson's mind that night, and he remains in the Warriors stars' thoughts almost a year after his passing.
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