According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Klay Thompson is expected to return to the Warriors before Christmas Day. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dorell Wright, “can’t wait,” to see Klay’s return.
Klay Thompson has taken another big step in his return to the Warriors lineup.
TNT's Allie LaForce reported during the broadcast of the Warriors' game against the Brooklyn Nets that Thompson played 5-on-5 for the first time Monday.
"We got a big update from Steve Kerr right before the game that Klay Thompson, for the first time yesterday, was able to play 5-on-5," LaForce said. "That's the next step in his progression after two years of not playing basketball. ... It's going to take a lot of 5-on-5 to get him back in basketball conditioning and basketball shape."
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While appearing on an ESPN broadcast on Nov. 5, Thompson told Ryan Rucco and former Warriors coach Mark Jackson that he had started playing 3-on-3 and that he was feeling great.
The Warriors haven't set a date for Thompson's return, but this latest news means he has cleared most hurdles in his recovery.
On Nov. 10, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Thompson could return before Christmas, which would mean the five-time NBA All-Star is 4-to-5 weeks away from returning.
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A day later, Thompson posted a photo of himself shooting at Chase Center and wrote that his return is "coming," but he asked Warriors fans for patience.
Thompson has missed 29 months after first tearing his left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and then tearing his right Achilles on Nov. 18, 2020. It has been a long road back, but it appears the Splash Brother is nearing the finish line.
