:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67818419/usa_today_11494157.0.jpg)
The news that the Golden State Warriors spent all of Wednesday fearing has unfortunately come true.
Five-time All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson has suffered a torn Achilles, and will miss the entirety of the 2020-21 NBA season. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Thompson is expected to make a full recovery.
Based on the type of tear, Thompson has been told to expect that he will make a full recovery, a source tells ESPN. https://t.co/wFA1AZREDe
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 19, 2020
Thompson suffered the injury to his right leg on Wednesday while working out in Southern California with a few other NBA players. He reportedly could not put weight on his leg as he left the gym, and had an MRI this morning.
It’s a devastating blow at the worst possible moment for the three-time champ. He missed the entire 2019-20 season due to a torn ACL in his left leg, which was sustained during the 2019 NBA Finals. He had finally rehabbed that injury, and was all set to play when the season starts on Dec. 22. It would have been 18 months between games for a player who lives to hoop.
And now he’ll miss a second straight season, in his prime.
It’s far too early to start putting a timeline on his injury, but tentatively Thompson will be aiming for a return early in the 2021-22 season. For comparison, when DeMarcus Cousins ruptured his Achilles, he returned to the court almost exactly one year later.
One can only imagine the type of heartbreak that Thompson is feeling, after getting so close to a return, only to suffer another deflating injury. Here’s hoping the rehab goes as smoothly as possible, and Klay can get back on the court doing the thing he loves most.