By early Saturday afternoon, the Warriors could make the official announcement everyone has been waiting for: Klay Thompson is back.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Friday night that Thompson is expected to make his return Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the news expected to be announced following Saturday’s practice. Reporters will be at Chase Center around 12:30 p.m. PT.
The Klay Day final countdown has been on since last week, when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Warriors were "optimistic" Thompson would return Sunday. The Warriors have ensured that Thompson’s comeback will take place at Chase Center in front of Dub Nation. Before last week’s game against the Miami Heat, Thompson took the court for a pre-game warmup in front of the fans and hinted he would be making a comeback six days later -- when he held six fingers up in the air as he walked through the tunnel.
Thompson hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, when he tore his ACL. As he was on the verge of returning from that injury, he tore his Achilles in a Nov. 2020 workout. Two years and seven months later, the beloved Splash Brother is set to return.
Klay is 31 now and has received rave reviews from his teammates during recent scrimmages as he’s built up his conditioning. Thompson is expected to play 15-20 minutes per game initially with the goal of ramping up his playing time as the Warriors make a postseason run.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob said it could be the most emotional day in franchise history. Since Golden State drafted Thompson in 2011, he has endeared himself to Warriors fans with his easy-going, fun-loving nature and otherworldly basketball performances – like his 37-point quarter in 2015, Game 6 masterpiece in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, and epic 14 made 3-pointer game in 2018.
