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Klay Thompson’s Interview After Winning NBA Finals Goes Viral

The Warriors star returned to the basketball court in January after missing over two years of action due to a torn ACL injury from 2019.

Madison Williams

The Warriors won their fourth NBA title in the past eight years Thursday night when they beat the Celtics 103–90 in Game 6.

The trio involved in all four of those championships include Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

The last time the Warriors played in the NBA finals in 2019, Thompson left Game 6 vs. the Raptors with a torn ACL in his left knee. He ended up not playing for over two years after that injury. 

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He made his triumphant return in January 2022, eventually helping his team to another championship ring. Thompson was in shock still by the time ESPN’s Lisa Salters interviewed him during the trophy ceremony.

“Well, I had to have my big bro talk me off a ledge a few times,” Thompson said while reflecting on the past few years. “I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t do nothing. I was immobilized. I’m such an athletic person, I love to be mobile. And he would just tell me ‘Patience, patience. It’s going to all pay off.’”

The guard said he was able to return to the court because of the motivation his teammates gave him.

“I mean there were some dog days, there’s a lot of tears shed on the bench,” Thompson said. “Steph talked me right, Draymond, just leaned on those guys, Andre [Iguodala]. I’m just thankful to be here, man. This is crazy. I can’t even believe it. I knew it was a possibility, but seeing in real time, holy cannoli, this is crazy.”

This last line of his quote went viral on social media due to his genuine reaction, even though Thompson stood on that stage three times prior.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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