At long last, Klay Thompson's return to the court is right around the corner.
The Warriors guard has missed the previous two seasons due to both ACL and Achilles injuries, and has been on the road to recovery, which will allow him to likely return sometime in the first half of this upcoming season.
Having suffered his ACL injury in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, and his Achilles injury prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, Thompson has yet to play a single game at the Warriors' new home, Chase Center.
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Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been thrilled with Thompson's progress throughout his recovery and is looking forward to the day Klay steps out onto the court in front of thousands of adoring fans.
“I do know that from watching him every day on the court, he’s really moving well, he’s in good shape, he’s happy, he’s excited to be back out on the floor with the guys," Kerr said on Tim Kawakami's "The TK Show" this week. "The light is finally at the end of the tunnel, and I keep thinking about that moment where he steps out onto (the floor) at [Chase Center] for the first time, it’s going to be so emotional.
"You think about everything Klay means to this franchise, what he means to our fanbase and what he has gone through the last two years just to get to this stage. He’s finally on the cusp, and he feels it. You can see it in his walk, he’s excited and he’s getting close.”
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The Warriors have called Chase Center home for two seasons now. Without Thompson on the floor, the energy there just hasn't been the same as when the "Splash Brothers" were collecting titles across the Bay at Oracle Arena.
For what game Thompson will make his return for remains to be seen. For Kerr, he knows that the first game back needs to be a home game at Chase Center.
“I’m not that naive," Kerr said. "I’ve figured that one out.”