Klay staying patient during ACL rehab: I want to play 'til my late 30s'
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson doesn't know if he'll return this season, but the All-Star guard says his rehab from a torn ACL is "going great."
"It's been a long process," Thompson told reporters, including ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I haven't stopped working since the third day after Game 6 of the 2019 Finals. You might not see me a lot, but I'm working. I don't know what's going to come this season, I would love to get out there.
"... It's very rare for me not to be grinding through it with them, but I'm trying to make sure this type of injury never happens to me again, so I'll be very patient because I want to play at a high level 'til my late 30s."
Thompson suffered the injury just over six months ago during Game 6 of last year's Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
In August, the 29-year-old said he was aiming to return at some point after the All-Star break. However, head coach Steve Kerr poured cold water on that possibility in October, stating that Thompson was "unlikely" to play this season.
The sharpshooter is set to be re-evaluated around the All-Star break in February. In the meantime, Thompson is spending more time around the Warriors' practice facility and is shooting with teammates after practices.
"More than anything it just feels good to see him out there," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "And for him to feel it, like he's actually closer. Even though he's still a ways from being out on the floor, he's so far along now compared to when this first started. So he's pretty far down the path, so I think he's starting to feel that."
Thompson averaged 21.5 points on 46.7% shooting across 78 appearances in 2018-19. Since entering the Association in 2011, he's established himself as one of the NBA's most prolific 3-point marksmen, drilling at least 40% of his attempts from beyond the arc in each of his eight seasons.
With Thompson and backcourt mate Stephen Curry on the mend for an extended period, the Warriors (9-33) have plummeted to the bottom of the league's standings.