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“Nobody thought Kobe Bryant would tear his Achilles”: Klay Thompson shares an inspirational post about the Lakers legend as he hopes to make a solid comeback from injury this Christmas

Arjun Julka
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"Nobody thought Kobe Bryant would tear his Achilles": Klay Thompson shares an inspirational post about the Lakers legend as he hopes to make a solid comeback from injury this Christmas

Warriors guard Klay Thompson shared an inspiring post about the late Kobe Bryant on his 43rd birth anniversary.

3x NBA champion has missed back-to-back seasons due to catastrophic injuries he sustained that included an ACL and Achilles injury. Thompson’s last appearance on the hardwood was during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

As the 5x All-Star was hoping for a comeback in the 2020-21 season, tragedy struck him again as Thompson suffered an Achilles injury during a practice game in LA.

Thompson was devastated and even shared an emotional post on Instagram. Nevertheless, the former 3-point contest champion has been seen doing a few shootarounds. As per reports,  Thompson is aiming for a Christmas return in the upcoming season.

Also read: “Klay Thompson is going to rip up the league!”: Kevin Durant and NBA Twitter react as Warriors star drains three after three during recent practice session

As the world remembered the Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on his 43rd birth anniversary. Thompson shared a motivating post about the Black Mamba.

Klay Thompson shared an inspirational post about Kobe Bryant’s Achilles injury in 2013

During a game between the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers in 2013, Kobe Bryant suffered a career-threatening Achilles injury that would keep him out of action for 7-months.

Recently, Thompson took to Instagram to share his experience about guarding Kobe that fateful night. The Warriors star, who is known to be one of the most elite 2-way players in the league, stated that he couldn’t do anything to defend the Lakers legend who was putting up a show that night.

Kobe had 34-points that night, shooting an impressive 42.9% from the field and 50.0% from the 3-point line before tearing his Achilles in the final minutes of the game. However, the pioneer of the Mamba mentality would stay put and perform 2 free throws before exiting the game.

Thompson had a similar moment during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals as well, the Warriors star was unstoppable, scoring 30.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals before going down with an ACL tear. Nevertheless, he would return and sink 2 free throws.

Also read: “Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are back together but Warriors not even top 10?”: NBA Twitter explodes after ESPN releases latest team rankings

Thompson, who is aiming for a 2021 Christmas return, draws inspiration from the late Kobe Bryant. The Lakers superstar had made a solid comeback after suffering from an Achilles tear.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

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Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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