On Sunday, Nov. 21, Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Klay Thompson has been cleared to fully participate in practices and is on track to return during the week of Christmas.

Early that week during a marquee matchup versus the Nets, it was reported that Thompson has been playing 3 on 3. The fact that he’s been upgraded to a full participant for practices by the end of the week should be very telling and it should give Warriors fans a lot of hope.

Although this was reported by Shams, Head Coach Steve Kerr has neither confirmed nor denied this claim when asked about it. “I don’t know where that came from,” Kerr told reporter Mark Haynes.

Additionally, Slater explained in an interview with NBA TV that while Klay has been doing 3 on 3 practices, his progress has been trending to the point where he’s ready to handle the 5 on 5 scrimmages.

It has been exactly 893 days since Thompson stepped foot on an NBA court. While the ACL and the Achilles tear are the most gruesome injuries to come back from, fans have noted how Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has looked since tearing his Achilles back in the 2019 Finals.

Medical experts have noted that it takes more than 10 months for athletes to come back from a severe injury such as the Achilles. While Durant benefited from the 18 months of rest, it’s been nearly a full year since Thompson tore his Achilles.

There is no precedent in basketball in terms of coming back from two major injuries. The question remains on everyone’s mind – what type of player would we see when Thompson eventually returns?

Obviously, it will take him a while to adjust into game shape and get that rhythm back again. The Warriors need to play it safe with Thompson and really see how he’s doing throughout the regular season before increasing his minutes once playoff time nears.

But this is still great news for Warriors fans and fans of basketball in general. Thompson has always been a likable character on and off the court.

Throughout his rehab, he’s been posting hilarious content on his Instagram Live, detailing his various adventures with his dog Rocco, taking James Wiseman on his boat, and (my personal favorite) showing off his martial arts skills in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

While many have questioned how the Warriors would survive without Thompson in the first half of the season, the Warriors have quieted the critics and seem to be doing alright by their standards. The Warriors have the best record in the league, and the entire team has bought into the system and has really embraced the “Strength in Numbers” mentality that was so prevalent in their previous championship runs.

During the predicted Christmas week timetable, the Warriors will have three home games. They play the Kings on Dec. 20, the Grizzlies on Dec. 23, and the Nuggets on Dec. 28.

(Photo credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)