Stephen Curry, Draymond Green And Steve Kerr Show Support To Klay Thompson After Emotional Post-Game Moment

(via Yahoo! Sports)

View the original article to see embedded media.

After the Golden State Warriors dismantled Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, everybody was happy with the team's 17-2 record. They are dominating the competition, becoming the best squad in the association right now. 

However, while the rest of the team celebrated, one member sat courtside with a towel on his head, presumably crying after seeing his teammates working, having fun, and getting a big win while he keeps recovering from a torn Achilles. 

Klay Thompson has been sidelined since 2019, missing the past two NBA seasons after suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries. The veteran shooting guard is reportedly returning around Christmas, and this last month of rehab will be challenging for him. 

Not only he has to get ready for the return but has to overcome the anxiety of being close to the comeback while watching his teammates play. That's what he showed on Friday night, as he stayed on the bench after the Warriors beat the Blazers, 118-103. He stayed there for a long time before Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr escorted him off the court. 

After that moment, the three talked about Klay, showing their support to the player. 

"It's very tough, and he's right there," Green said, via Yahoo Sports. "He's right there, getting toward the end of the road. Or the beginning of the road, however you choose to look at it.

"He's had these days from time to time, and I understand it as far as I can understand without going through it. I don't know many people who love basketball the way Klay loves basketball, that loves competing the way he loves competing. I always talk about our dominoes games. He even loved doing that, and he's severely outmatched. So, just a competitor. One of the biggest competitors I've ever been around in my life.

"And he's a part of this. Don't get my wrong. But you want to impact the game, you want to have your presence out there, make your presence felt. And after almost three full calendar years off the floor, it's tough. We sympathize with him, but we have to be right there, continue to push him, continue to try to get him to the finish line, or the start line as I said before."

Stephen Curry said it'll be hard for him to be out there, especially now that he's so close to returning to action. Yet, he made it clear the team will be there to support Thompson. 

"Two-plus years is a long time," Curry told reporters after the game when asked about Thompson. "I think going into this particular season and him getting closer than he's ever been to getting back on the floor. Kind of predicted this would be the hardest part of his journey because he's got the basketball back in his hands every day, he's feeling like himself. He's playing pick-up [games], he's around our practices, and he's back with us in those types of situations, but he's still not on the court. And the good things is we're talking weeks instead of months now.

"Super proud of the way he's approached this two-year window because it's -- unless he wants to write a book and tell every step of the way -- nobody will understand what he's been through, away from the game for so long. And it shows how much this game matters to him. And it's rare these days to have somebody as pure as Klay just feel every bit of what basketball brings to him. It's going to hit him at times, and we've got to continue to be there to support him and speak positively about him and what he's accomplished because, again, this is his journey. Nobody can speak to what he's been through."

Steve Kerr had the same mindset as his players. While the day gets closer, Thompson gets more anxious and that's hard, especially after two years out of action. However, the head coach made it clear the wait will be over soon. 

"I just try to put myself in his shoes," Kerr said. "The good news is he is nearing the finish line on this. But he can't help but stop and think about how much he's lost the last couple of years, just on a personal level. He loves the game so much and not being able to play, not really being able to be a part of the team the way he wants to, it's been pretty emotional for him.

"He's very human, I guess that's what I'm trying to say, like, he's vulnerable, he's emotional. That's what makes him such a beautiful person, and he just cares and he loves the game. He loves the work, and he wants to be part of everything. All that's been ripped away the last two years. So, there's been times where he's been pretty down."

The Warriors have been a model franchise for a while now. They are great on the court and have great people working for them. Everybody, even rival fans, is waiting to see Klay make his long-awaited return to the court. 

Once he starts playing again, it'll be scary hours for the rest of the competition. He's lucky to have these people by his side during these days. The game misses Klay, too, and we can't wait to see him hoop again, showing why he's one of the greatest shooters of all time.