‘I was doing 1000 calf raises a day this time last year’: Klay Thompson provides insight into injury ‘dog days’ after Warriors reach NBA Finals

Klay Thompson has now appeared in six consecutive NBA Finals since 2015, capturing the coveted championship three times amidst the injury struggle he faced in between.

Thompson and the Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Golden State returned to the NBA finals after a two-year layoff.

Klay suffered a torn ACL during the 2019 postseason and was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs and the next season. Thompson was expected to return to the NBA after a one-year sabbatical, only to be sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon during the 2020 preseason.

He returned earlier this year and has not missed a beat, putting up clutch performances on both ends of the floor.

The Warriors win the Western Conference Finals 🏆

Steph, Klay and Draymond will play their SIXTH NBA Finals together pic.twitter.com/dfk14V9zTI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2022

Klay, who is renowned for dominating Game 6 of a playoff series, made sure this one didn’t last much longer. Thompson didn’t miss a shot and finished with 32 points.

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Klay Thompson makes a 6th consecutive NBA Final after returning from injury for the first time since 2019

The Golden State Warriors defeated Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in five games to reach the 6th final in eight years.

They are currently the first team since Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to reach six NBA Finals in eight seasons. When Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are healthy, the Warriors have already reached the Finals six times in a row.

Klay has a difficult journey to get to this moment. Nine hundred and forty-one days have passed since the last game. Two significant lower leg injuries necessitated surgery and an extended recuperation period. Thompson highlighted the struggles he had while absent and how his colleagues and family were there to support him.

“It’s definitely a moment I’m going to enjoy tonight with my family and my friends. They were there during the dog days. It was like 1000 calf raises a day, it was painful at times but I just saw this in sight and kept going…”

Klay Thompson on what this moment means to him. pic.twitter.com/IK8Kbg4QSp

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2022