Thompson clear to play NBA Finals
Klay Thompson completes concussion protocol
OAKLAND — Having been cleared to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Klay Thompson can focus his anxiety on winning a championship.
On the day Thompson completed the league’s concussion protocol, the Warriors guard spoke more about nervousness two days before the start of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers than any symptoms stemming from a concussion he sustained last week.
“That’s natural, and it’s good to be a little nervous,” Thompson said Tuesday. “It means you’re excited. It means you know you want it.”
Thompson suffered a concussion six days earlier in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals and was awaiting clearance after participating in his second straight day of scrimmaging during practice.
Woozy after the Houston Rockets’ Trevor Ariza kneed him in the head, Thompson said he doesn’t think the concussion will throw off his rhythm because of the length of the break before Game 1 on Thursday.
“I feel great, honestly,” Thompson said.
“Yesterday, I was a little tired, but today I feel like I got my wind back.”
Coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Thompson appeared fine at practice, adding, “He looks 100 percent.”
Now symptom-free, Thompson said the most difficult part of experiencing the concussion was the uncertainty of a process that had left his availability to play in question.
For Thompson, there’s still the “nerves and anxiousness” he’d like to stop as he acknowledged he would feel that during the first few minutes on the court in Game 1.
Fans might feel the same way as the Warriors look to win their first NBA championship since 1975.
“We’re just as excited as them, and we’re going to do it big for ’em, and we’re going to bring it home for ’em,” Thompson said.
“We’re just so excited. It’s new territory for Warriors fans and for us, and we’re going to embrace every minute of it.”
Just don’t expect Thompson, who has averaged 19.7 points per game in the playoffs, to necessarily wear his emotions on his face.
“He’s one of those who you don’t know if he’s missed his last 10 or made his last 10,” center Andrew Bogut said.
Said Kerr: “He doesn’t talk a lot. He doesn’t say a whole lot. He just plays.”
Thompson averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds against Cleveland in two regular-season games. In this series, he could be asked to guard Kyrie Irving or LeBron James.
James, the four-time league MVP, told reporters that it’s a luxury for a team to have numerous defenders be able to guard an offensive player.
“In Golden State’s case, they have multiple bodies they’ve shown this year and in the past even when I was playing in Miami to be able to go to (Andre) Iguodala, Harrison Barnes, Draymond (Green), Klay, to have multiple bodies that they would put on me,” James told reporters.
Said Kerr: “To me, the whole thing in the NBA these days is you need as many two-way players as you can. We try to put as many on the floor as we can all the time, and Klay sort of defines that.
“He’s a great defender on the ball, especially. And then he can hit a shot from anywhere. It’s the reason we gave him a big contract.”
Read more at: Golden State Warriors Media Services / More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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