Golden State Warriors All-Star guard Klay Thompson admitted that he may not be the same player when he returns to the court after missing two seasons to injury, but did reaffirm to fans that he will get back to the best version of himself eventually. Thompson went down with an Achilles injury prior to the start of the 2020 season.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t expect to come back balls to the wall, 38 minutes a night, guarding the best player, running around 100 screens. I’m going to get to that point. I guarantee that,” he told reporters prior the Warriors’ matchup with the Utah Jazz, Sunday. “I plan on being the All-NBA player I was. I will not settle for anything less. I’m too competitive to take a relegated role. That’s not me… I can’t wait, man. I’ve got a lot of pent-up energy.”
Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
Thompson also admitted that 2020 was the worst year of his life, echoing similar comments he made recently when he said that being injured is killing him.
“It was probably the worst year of my life,” he told reporters. “…It feels good to be back here. I feel love when I’m back in the Warriors facility. My roots are here. It was not easy on anybody. Everyone had their own trials and tribulations through 2020, but that was it for me: losing my grandma Mary, tearing my Achilles, and I still think about Kobe every single day.”
[Via]