原文标题：Klay Thompson kept Warriors 'accountable' as he mended from 2 injuries
Original author: Mark Medina
The original article was first published on January 9, the NBA official website
Translator: Small fresh meat in a bun
Review: Crazyelf
If he can hit key three-pointers or provide solid defense, it will solve the existing problems of the Golden State Warriors very well.
Unlike most of his NBA career, Klay Thompson has been unable to provide these help to teams for nearly 2 and a half years. After healing a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee throughout the 2019-20 season, he has been absent from the 2020-21 season due to a ruptured right Achilles tendon.
So after the Warriors lost 53 points to the Toronto Raptors last season, Thompson shared his frustration with his teammates in a speech in the post-game locker room. "We are the Warriors!" Thompson shouted. "We're much more than that!"
The circumstances surrounding Thompson's rare post-game conversation have not gone unnoticed, as he said after the Warriors lost to the team that beat them in the 2019 Finals, when Thompson was injured for the first time in game six at the end of the series.
The Warriors believe Thompson's speech inspired them to play better in the final month of last season, giving them the chance to play in the playoffs. Thompson's outbursts also provide a window into how he's coped with injuries over the past two seasons.
The moment also revealed how much the Warriors missed Thompson.
"He let us know that we took it for granted," Warriors forward Kevin Rooney told NBA. Officials, "he was injured and is recovering just to get back on the court." It shows his passion, as well as his nostalgia for the game. The moment also reveals how much the Warriors miss Thompson.
Since Thompson injured his left knee on June 13, 2019, the Warriors dynasty has undergone tremendous changes. Less than a month later, Kevin Durant traveled to Brooklyn as a free agent. Three months later, the Warriors changed the playing field from Oakland (Oracle Arena) to San Francisco (Chase Center). In the past two years, the Warriors have not been able to return to the Finals, or even make the playoffs.
However, the Warriors soon rebuilt. Thompson could make a comeback when the Warriors (29-9) played sunday at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers (21-17). No wonder Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser predicted: "When Klay Thompson returns, the Chase Center will tremble." Over the past 941 days, the Warriors have played without Thompson, who has helped the Warriors win three NBA championships in five Finals with his outside shots, solid defense and team-first attitude.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers said in an interview with the NBA website: "The complex emotions brought about by his return are due to the pain of recovery. ”
"The reason clay and his return have so much emotion is because it's all been so hard that he's been through, the fans miss him and our team needs to move on without him. It's all really hard. So when he comes back, you'll remember all these things. ”
Thompson's injury dashed the Warriors' hopes of winning the championship
And the beginning of all this bad experience just came from the destruction of the Warriors' good expectations.
In his fifth game, Durant strained his right Achilles tendon in his first game after missing the first five games with a right calf strain. The Warriors still managed to get two wins, and they also had to win game six in Oakland and rekindle confidence in winning a third consecutive NBA championship. Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown still vividly remembers what Thompson said after his fifth win.
"It's a twist!'" Brown remembers what Thompson said. "'We're going to have a sixth game!'" We'll turn things around! ’”
Against the Raptors, which have Leonard, Lowry, Siakam and Gasol, Thompson appeared confident in this bold prediction. After all, the Warriors also have Stephen Curry, Drummond Green, Andre Iguodala and Thompson.
Toward the end of the third quarter of game six, Thompson had scored 28 points. Some on the Warriors coaching staff have compared Thompson's performance to a career playoff high of 41 points he set in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma Thunder. As Fraser said, "We're going to win this game." When he enters super god mode, he is the best. ”
Nothing seemed to stop Thompson, only that he found out that this was not the case. With 2:22 left in the third quarter, Thompson tried to fast-break the dunk, and former Raptors guard Danny Green fought back from behind. This caused Thompson's center of gravity to fall on his left leg and land on the ground at a strange angle ahead of his whole body. Thompson lay on the ground and grabbed his left knee.
Brown said: "Danny Green tried to block from behind and it was a tough game. So as soon as this scene happened, it was enough to make people angry. ”
Then chaos ensued, and the Warriors didn't know the severity of Thompson's injury at the time, but they didn't take the risk. Thompson's teammate Jordan Bell and Jonas Jerebko walked into the dressing room with Thompson. But Thompson quickly returned to the court and threw two free throws while the adrenaline still masked his pain.
After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recalled telling Thompson, "We're going to foul you." "Thompson's reaction?" No, we don't need fouls; I can finish the remaining quarter of the game. Even when Thompson returned to the dressing room, his agent Greg Lawrence saw him "running around and jumping around" as well. But the Warriors' medical staff quickly determined that Thompson needed to go to a nearby hospital for a film check-up. Before the Warriors lost game six, Thompson learned of his torn anterior cruciate ligament.
After Klay Thompson was injured, the Raptors won game six of the 2019 Finals and won the championship.
"After 5 years in the Finals, it feels like our team has run out of energy," Kerr told the NBA website. "There have been two major injuries in back-to-back games and for me, our players have overtaken themselves. They did everything, not only to the limit, but beyond the limit. ”
2 years, 2 injuries, a long journey
Despite Thompson's suspension due to injury, the Warriors did not hesitate to give him a five-year, $190 million contract. Thompson, who has been named an All-Star five times and is one of the NBA's most reliable offensive and defensive players, is still at his peak. While that confirmed the league's vision of placing him in the 11th rookie of 2011, it didn't ease the frustration of his current injuries.
First, Thompson is tired after the Warriors' long Finals and can't fully recover from his current form.
"ACL, they want you to be able to stand up the next day," Lawrence said. That's why the injury was the first time, as Clay might need to rest. But suddenly, he had to start receiving daily rehabilitation. ”
Second, money can hardly buy Thompson's happiness. Consider what Thompson said during his absence from the 2019-20 season. "At one point he did say, 'Money doesn't matter; Trophies don't matter,'" Fraser recalled. "'I just want to play basketball.'"
Clay's attitude is, 'I'm going to give it my all, make sure I can give it my all, I'm going to be with the team.' He had an unbelievable state of mind. ”
It also explains why Thompson stayed away from the team in 2019-20 to restore his left knee. In the eight seasons before the end of the season, he played in 615 of the 640 regular season games and 122 of the 123 playoff games.
"People will say, 'Why don't the players sit on the bench more, or why aren't they on the bench?' Miles said, "I would say that Clay has done a good job of this, but I think it's a pain in his heart to watch the game without playing. ”
In the 2020 offseason, Thompson was finally able to train basketball, and his pain eased.
He trained with the Warriors during the Warriors' two-week mini-camp, a privilege for teams that didn't play at the NBA Bubble Center. Thompson also played against other NBA players in Los Angeles.
"I saw the joy of him playing in Los Angeles and playing the way he did," Green said in an interview with the NBA. "It makes me happier than anything else." Most people didn't get a chance to see him at the time. So to have the opportunity to see him, to see his excitement, I cherish that moment. ”
This feeling good moment didn't last long.
On NBA draft afternoon, Thompson broke his right Achilles tendon while playing with other NBA players in Los Angeles. Thompson, who was injured after two dribbling jump shots, said he "jumped 100 times a day." This time, Thompson turned and ran back, falling to the ground on the defensive end.
Clay Thompson suffered a second leg injury in November 2020.
Lawrence quickly called Miles, who was huddled up in the Warriors' draft room. Cole was also present, and he observed Miles's face change after answering the phone. He quickly put down the phone and said in disbelief, "Clay has torn his Achilles tendon."
Soon after, Miles met with Kerr and Warriors big boss Joe Lecob, then called Curry and turned on hands-free. Miles recalled that when they told Curry the news, "there was silence on the other end of the phone. Shortly thereafter, when the parties contacted Thompson on a conference call, neither side knew how to word it.
Rooney said: "When we lose a player like this, our view of this season has completely changed. 'It kills your joy and confidence to get into this season, you'll be put in different positions to glue the team in place of his absent role, but we never really did that.
There is no doubt that Miles described Thompson as "dejected" and "distracted" during his first conference call. Many NBA players have overcome Achilles tendon injuries, including Kobe Bryant, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Guy, Wesley Matthews and Jerebko. But Durant and Dominic Wilkins are the only two players who performed better after an Achilles tendon injury.
Last March, Thompson described last season as "the worst year of my life." Thompson not only has to digest the impact of two seasons of injuries, but also the grief of the deaths of his grandmother, Bryant and Gianna Bryant.
However, after undergoing surgery a week after Thompson was injured, Miles found that Thompson showed a different demeanor. When Myers visited Thompson's parents in Los Angeles, he noticed that although Thompson could not move on crutches, he showed an attitude of accepting all this." Shortly after Miles arrived, Durant spoke to Thompson on the phone, giving him encouragement and advice.
"It's interesting to observe," Lawrence said. "It's easy to say, 'Are you kidding me?' And "Why is this happening?" But Clay's attitude is, "I'm going to give it my all, make sure I can do my best, I'm going to be with the team." "'He has an unbelievable mindset.'"
While the Warriors praised Thompson for his rigorous dieting and training before injury, Lawrence said Thompson made some unspecified adjustments in those areas that both compensated for missed games and gave himself a potential advantage after returning.
When you lose someone like that, our perception changes throughout the season. It kills your joy and confidence in getting into this season. ”
—Kevin Rooney on Klay Thompson's injury in 2020
By March last year, Thompson's protective boots had been removed and he had undergone medical examinations for a variety of trainings, including walking, weight lifting, calf lifting, flexibility and balance exercises, and running on an underwater weight-bearing treadmill. In mid-November, the Warriors allowed Thompson to train in full-court, full-touch training before sending him to Santa Cruz for development league training. Since then, Thompson has been training with the team and has participated in pre-game training.
"His body is in the best condition of his life," Green said of Thompson. "As soon as you see him, you can see it clearly. He's in good physical condition and he's trying to get back to where he is now. It's great to see a guy stick around and continue to work as hard as he does. ”
By being more around the team, Thompson often encouraged and mentored his teammates on the sidelines. Like the Warriors' 53-point loss to the Raptors last season, Thompson occasionally criticized the team's performance. However, by acting more positively, Thompson became more emotional.
Think about what happened to the Warriors against the Denver Nuggets on April 23, 2021, the first time they've played in front of fans since the pandemic. After the game, Curry approached Thompson on the bench, and Thompson held back tears. Curry then tried to encourage him.
"It's tough, you realize how long he's been out of the game, how much he misses that atmosphere, how much he misses that feeling on the court," Curry told the NBA website. He knew how long he would have to wait. All the heavy blows were crushed at the same moment. It was tough, but luckily he was there for us instead of sitting at home watching him play. ”
A similar incident occurred on November 26, 2021, at the end of the Warriors' game over the Portland Trail Blazers.
After the game, Thompson sat on the bench for about 30 minutes with a towel over his head. When Thompson sat on the bench, his teammates would occasionally slip into a seat next to him. The remaining Warriors fans kept cheering him on.
Green said: "He was emo at the time, so you have to try to pass on some positive energy and ideas." "It's a big hot day and it feels like, 'I can play right now, I feel good.'" I played in these games and I could play, but I had to go through the last hurdle. Those days could have been much tougher. I think he was like that today.
"But seeing the fans hugging him, everyone coming back to support him and keep encouraging him, that's what matters most."
Thompson finally waited for a comeback.
The Warriors also found it important that Thompson was still able to bring as much lightness, joy and laughter as he did before the injury.
The Warriors witnessed a lot of great moments on Thompson's Instagram livestream. Thompson then filmed himself driving on the boat, listening to music and debriefing the progress of the recovery. Rooney called these live streams "one of the most interesting things you can see on the internet."
However, the most memorable moments took place outside the public eye.
On Monday, Miles and Thompson talked about his upcoming return after training. But when Thompson spoke to Miles in his rowing suit, Miles couldn't help but laugh.
Miles smiled and said, "When you're wearing the captain's hat, I can't talk to you seriously." Thompson smiled and said, "Then I'll go get my boat now." Many of the Warriors' players hadn't had a chance to board Thompson's boat between training sessions, and they politely kept it a secret whether they had accepted his invitation. But Thompson provided enough entertainment elsewhere.
Shortly after learning that the NBA excluded him from the 75th Anniversary Team, Thompson texted Lawrence asking if he could change his jersey number to 77.
"It's bullshit—" Lawrence recalled Thompson's text message. "'I'm going to come back and blow these people up.'" ”
Lawrence knew how unfeasible it was to get Thompson to change his jersey number due to licensing and inventory issues. Instead, Lawrence called Miles and asked if he could sew a No. 77 jersey and hang it next to Thompson's locker. Lawrence pleaded with Miles, "I think it's a good thing for him; It will motivate him. ”
Miles smiled and said, "I don't mean to offend, and I don't want Clay to misunderstand what I mean." "But Greg is nice, he always chats with Clay."
So when Thompson saw the No. 77 shirt in his locker, he often wore it during training. On Halloween, Thompson dressed up as Larry Bird, dressed in the Boston Celtics jersey, with blond hair, mimicking his shooting posture. Since then, Thompson has worn the ABA jersey, shorts, and headscarf.
Brown laughed and said, "I'm not too interested in what he's doing right now" "What I'm more excited about is what he's going to look like when he gets back on the court." Will he be the captain of the ABA team in the 70s or the Washington General Army/Washington Bullets? Or will he become Klay Thompson?"
So Brown recently told Thompson, "I want you to come back and clean up your face because it looks terrible." Thompson laughed and retorted, "You don't understand fashion; You don't understand fashion. ”
After all, Thompson set an NBA record of 14 three-pointers in a single game three years ago, when he was still wearing a headband. The Warriors say Thompson's recent training has often been to shoot consecutive shots, wearing the same clothes and talking nonsense.
"He likes to win," said Warriors player development coach Chris De Marco, who goes through personal training with Thompson. "Whether it's a shooting game, a one-on-one, a five-on-five or any other game, we can feel the fun. But there is competition, especially when he wins. If he loses, he'll be angry. ”
All of this makes the Warriors even more excited about Thompson's return.
Over the past two and a half years, they've witnessed Thompson endure the pain of injury at his most vulnerable, endure the monotonous recovery process, and endure the frustration of staying on the sidelines. While Thompson's return may pose some problems, the Warriors have begun to eagerly see the previously omnipotent man in a more familiar environment.
"Thompson finally waited for his comeback," Cole said of Thompson. "He threw himself into it."