Warriors star Stephen Curry says he was moved to tears last week upon hearing he’d be playing another season without his longtime partner in the Golden State backcourt.
Curry told The Undefeated on Monday that he heard the news of Thompson’s torn Achilles tendon on a conference call with general manager Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr.
“(Thompson’s) the best two-guard in the league,” Curry said. “To get that call was a gut punch for sure. A lot of tears. You don’t really know what to say because a guy like that is having to go through two pretty serious rehabs now.”
Curry also mentioned how important it is to support Thompson, who had spent more than a year rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee he suffered in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
“We have to have his back,” Curry said. “We hope that he is around and a part of what we do through his rehab and staying connected with us.”
“You feel for a guy who has worked so hard to get back on the court two-three weeks out of (training camp) and something like that happens,” Curry said. “You need to have a big-picture mentality when something like this happens. It’s easier said than done going through a lot of rehab, but there is a lot of time left in his career. We’re going to be there through it all.”
Thompson and Curry have been teammates since 2011. Dubbed the “Splash Brothers,” they went on to form one of the most dynamic backcourts in NBA history, and were integral parts of the Warriors’ world championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
“He can come back strong.” Curry said of Thompson. “He’s a guy that loves the game so much. He is going to do whatever it takes to get back out there on the floor and be himself. That’s what we hope and the confidence that we have. Two-and-a-half years of rehab is tough for anybody. We’re hoping for the best.”
The Warriors have taken steps in recent days to try and make up for Thompson’s absence.
They selected James Wiseman and Nico Mannion in last week’s NBA Draft, and have acquired forward Kelly Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oubre, 24, averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season for the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors also added to their depth, agreeing to deals with Kent Bazemore and Brad Wanamaker. Golden State, of course, still has Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins as part of its core.
Curry wants to prove that Thompson’s injury doesn’t spell the end of an era for the Warriors.
“It’s going to be hard at first, for sure. We’ve been waiting seven months to get back out there,” Curry said. “Not seeing (Thompson) on the court, at first, is going to be weird. But I think we’ve done a really good job in the offseason with James and our draft picks and in the free agency pool to put together a really solid roster. We’re going to have to learn a lot really quickly, and we will need a full commitment from everybody.
“We know we can compete with anyone in the league. It’s kind of crazy. We know how great Klay is. Don’t get me wrong. But we hear the chatter. ‘It’s the end of for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future?’ But we are in the moment right now. It’s kind of refreshing being in that category as guys that are chasing. We know [the Los Angeles Lakers] are the defending champs. We got to beat them. We’re ready for it.”
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November 24, 2020 at 10:33PM
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Steph Curry was crushed to hear of Klay Thompson’s injury: “A lot of tears” - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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