“ Many Tears ” – The Undefeated

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry said he was brought to tears after hearing the news of his teammate Klay Thompson’s Achilles tendon injury last week.

“You feel for a guy who worked so hard to get back on court two to three weeks [training camp] and something like that happens, ”Curry told The Undefeated Monday. “You have to have a global mindset when something like this happens. It’s easier said than done to undergo a lot of rehab, but there’s a lot of time left in his career. We’re going to be there through it all.

Thompson, 30, suffered the Achilles injury during basketball practice in Los Angeles on November 18. The five-time All-Star is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2021-22 season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

Curry learned of Thompson’s injury during a conference call with Warriors general manager Bob Myers and head coach Steve Kerr.

“He’s the best 2-guard in the league,” said Curry. “Receiving that call was definitely a boost. Lots of tears. You don’t really know what to say because a guy like that has to go through two pretty serious detoxes now. But in the end, we have to have his back. We hope he is there and part of what we do through his rehabilitation and keep in touch with us.

“He can come back strong. He’s a guy who loves the game so much. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get back on the floor and be himself. This is what we hope for and the confidence we have. Two and a half years of drug rehab is tough for anyone. We hope for the best. “

Curry and Thompson have been teammates since 2011, earning the nickname “The Splash Brothers” and winning three NBA Championships together. Curry was looking forward to teaming up again with Thompson, who missed all last season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

The Warriors hope to fill Thompson’s shoes with the recent acquisition of veteran swingman Kelly Oubre, who averaged 18.7 points with the Phoenix Suns last season. In addition, they agreed to terms with free agent guards Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore.

Golden State also added talent in last week’s NBA Draft, selecting former University of Memphis center James Wiseman with the No.2 pick and Arizona point guard Nico Mannion in the second round.

With newcomers joining three-time All-Star Draymond Green, 2020 NBA rookie selection Eric Paschall and veteran forward Andrew Wiggins, Curry is confident the Warriors will always be great without Thompson.

“It’s going to be difficult at first, for sure. We waited seven months to get back there, ”Curry said. “To not see [Thompson] in the field, at first, it’s going to be weird. But I think we’ve done a really good job during the offseason with James and our picks in the draft and the free agency pool to build a really strong roster. We are going to have to learn a lot very quickly and we will need full commitment from everyone.

“We know we can compete with anyone in the league. It’s kinda crazy. We know how awesome Klay is. Do not mistake yourself. But we hear the chatter. “This is the end for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future? But we are in the present moment. It’s kind of refreshing to be in that category as a chase guy. We know [the Los Angeles Lakers] are the champions in defense. We have to beat them. We are ready for it.