Klay Thompson’s return was one of the most anticipated comebacks in sports history.
And now that it’s finally happened and the Warriors’ star guard is in the second week of his journey, Klay opened up about his first game back and how he has felt since.
It can’t be easy to put into words what it felt like to step on the court again for the first time in 941 days.
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But after having time to process, Klay described what he remembers most from the extremely emotional night.
“Probably the day leading up to it,” Klay told NBC Sports Bay Area color analyst Kelenna Azubuike. “A lot of [anxiety]. The introduction and then the part where I went down the lane and dunked on two people, that felt really good. Pretty surreal moment, just cause I thought about it for so long, and amazing reception from the fans. Electricity was in the building, really it was electric in there. And it felt normal again to be playing basketball. It was just an incredible time and a night I'll never forget.”
Klay made his season debut on Jan. 9 and finished with 17 points in 20 minutes in the Warriors’ 96-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Overall since his return, the Splash Bro has played in six games and is averaging 14.7 points in just over 21 minutes per game.
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Although his road to full recovery continues, Klay is just happy to be back out there with his squad.
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Klay revealed what he missed most about being on the court, and what his mental state was like during the 941-day hiatus.
“I missed it all,” Thompson told Azubuike. “I missed the intros, I missed the pregame preparation, I missed getting my shots up, prior to tipoff, I missed the morning shootaround. I missed my stretching and the cold tub, and just the nerves that come with playing. Being off for two years, it was hard to stay focused and invested every night, but when you’re out there and you’re competing, it’s a whole different beast and I miss that part the most -- the competition.”