Dub Nation had a lot to smile about on Wednesday night during the ESPYs. Not only was Steph Curry hosting the A-list sports gala, but the Warriors were named Best Team and Klay Thompson was named Comeback Player of the Year.
Klay has been very open about his emotions over the past three years since he tore his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals. It took him 31 months to recovery from his ACL and subsequent Achilles injury before he made his triumphant return on Klay Day, Jan. 9 at Chase Center.
A month after he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy for the fourth time in his career, Thompson couldn’t help but smile while cradling the Comeback Player of the Year Award. After cracking some opening jokes about his Splash Brother, Klay gave a heartfelt thank you to the Warriors.
“It’s just an incredible honor,” Thompson said. “I would not be here without the Warriors organization. I mean, who pays a guy after tearing his ACL? That’s unheard of, but they had faith in me. I know you’re out there somewhere (general manager) Bob (Myers), (governors) Peter Guber and Joe (Lacob) had faith in us. Just incredible.”
As Thompson noted, the Warriors signed him to a five-year, max contract in the summer of 2019 despite his ACL injury. Little did they know he would tear his Achilles the next fall. Golden State paid Thompson more than $70 million on his new contract before he stepped on the floor, but it was worth every penny.
Klay also gave a shoutout to his childhood idol Kobe Bryant, which was recognized by his widow Vanessa on Instagram.
“@klaythompson, you’re a class act,” Bryant wrote. “Thank you for your support and love for Kobe, my Gigi and our family. Thank you for always including my Gigi when you think of Kob. Congratulations.”
Kudos to Klay for getting recognized for his return. Dub Nation already made him feel welcome, but this trophy from the ESPYs probably holds some special significance for him, too.
