Yahoo Finance Stephen Curry calls Klay Thompson Achilles injury a 'gut punch'
Stephen Curry spoke publicly for the first time on Monday about Klay Thompson’s Achilles tendon tear.
He’s upset for his friend and teammate. And he’s confident in the Warriors regardless of the massive blow to the team. It’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the two-time league MVP.
He opened up in an interview with The Undefeated’s Marc Spears.
“He’s the best 2-guard in the league,” Curry said. “To get that call was a gut punch for sure. A lot of tears. You don’t really know what to say because a guy like that is having to go through two pretty serious rehabs now.
“But at the end of the day, we have to have his back. We hope that he is around and a part of what we do through his rehab and staying connected with us.”
Thompson suffered the injury last week while playing in a scrimmage in Los Angeles. Thompson hasn’t played in an NBA game since suffering an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals and was working on getting back to game speed.
Now he’ll have to wait at least another full season following another devastating injury.
Steph: ‘We’re going to be there through it all’
“You feel for a guy who has worked so hard to get back on the court two, three weeks out of [training camp] and something like that happens,” Curry said. “You need to have a big-picture mentality when something like this happens.
“It’s easier said than done going through a lot of rehab, but there is a lot of time left in his career. We’re going to be there through it all.”
Can Warriors still compete?
While Curry expressed sadness for Thompson, he declined to acknowledge the injury as an end to Golden State’s championship hopes this season.
“We know we can compete with anyone in the league,” Curry said. “It’s kind of crazy. We know how great Klay is. Don’t get me wrong. But we hear the chatter. ‘It’s the end of for us. This year is a wash. What are we going to do in the future?’
“But we are in the moment right now. It’s kind of refreshing being in that category as guys that are chasing. We know [the Los Angeles Lakers] are the defending champs. We got to beat them. We’re ready for it.”
Again — that’s a mindset that shouldn’t come as a surprise from a three-time NBA champion. It’s also a confidence that doesn’t necessarily stack up with reality in a loaded Western Conference.
More from Yahoo Sports:
