Klay Thompson’s return to the court will be a moment to remember for Warriors fans, but where will it rank among Klay’s best performances?
If you've ever overslept, you know the panic that ensues. Your entire routine is thrown off. You're scrambling to accomplish tasks in a fraction of the time you normally allocate. And despite the extra sleep, you might not function properly at work.
Klay Thompson is not most people. Well, to a certain degree.
The Warriors star, who is close to making his return after rehabbing injuries for the last 31 months, is the most down-to-earth three-time NBA champion and five-time NBA All-Star around. But his ability to play basketball at a high level allows him to overcome the feeling everyday humans might not able to.
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That leads us to one of the most remarkable games of Thompson's career.
Back on Dec. 5, 2016, Thompson dropped an astonishing 60 points in 29 minutes during a Warriors' 142-106 win over the Indiana Pacers. Klay shot 21-of-33 from the field and made eight 3-pointers. Oh, and he only dribbled the ball 11 -- yes, eleven -- times during the game.
While speaking to The Athletic's Tim Kawakami recently, former Warriors center David West and Zaza Pachulia revealed that Thompson actually missed practice the day before the 60-point performance against the Pacers because he overslept.
“Oh yeah, the 60-point game,” West told Kawakami. “Klay had missed (practice the day before). That was the first time something like that had happened while I was there. He’s one of the guys you can depend on, and I don’t think anybody knew what was up. It was just one of those things. And he came in right before the game just with a different kind of attitude, I would say. He was quiet, more quiet than usual. And just went off, man. I’ve never seen a guy respond that way.
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“It was also sort of different because there was no need to discipline him or reprimand him or anything like that. I know (Steve Kerr) said something to him, but he sort of has this self-corrective thing that not too many guys have. That was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. … For a lot of guys, (missing practice) would’ve thrown them off. But not Klay. He used it somehow as fuel in probably one of the most incredible nights basketball has ever seen.”
Pachulia, one of Thompson's closest friends in the basketball world, told Kawakami he couldn't believe a star of Klay's caliber overslept. He might expect that from a rookie or a young player, but not a veteran.
“We were joking with him," Pachulia told Kawakami. "Normally, the coach would get mad and maybe he would get fined or whatever, right? But we were actually joking with Klay that you know what, just don’t show up for practice anymore. It sounds pretty simple. It sounds like there isn’t much special about it. But just knowing Klay, knowing his personality, we were lucky to get to know him well. It’s a perfect way to describe this. Very Klay.”
RELATED: Klay has thrived for Warriors in first game back from injuries
Klay hasn't been able to play the game he loves since June 13, 2019. He's chomping at the bit to get back on the court. Chances are, Thompson won't miss another practice because he overslept.
But if he ever does, it might be a safe bet to expect Thompson to go off in the next game he plays.