Klay Thompson Set for Return and Stronger Social Justice Presence

Klay Thompson had press availability at the Warriors’ Media Day on Monday, and nothing noteworthy was said.

Just kidding.

Two years after last taking the court, Thompson opened up about his excitement to be back in uniform with his return to the team on the horizon.

“It feels so good to put this jersey on, and it feels even better to be on the court,” Thompson said. “There is an endpoint, and that’s what excites me. The worst is far, far behind me.”

Following a summer of boating and rehabbing, Thompson said he likely would not return to the court until 12 months after he tore his ACL on November 18, and whether his return comes in December or January, Steve Kerr indicated it will be in front of a raucous Chase Center crowd.

“It’s going to be beautiful,” fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry said. “I know the crowd is going to show him so much love, like he deserves.”

The five-time All Star and three-time NBA champion Thompson echoed Curry’s sentiments, putting into clear terms his mindset heading into his eventual first game back at home.

“I’ve thought about that moment for two years,” Thompson said. “I really miss basketball, I miss playing for the Warriors in front of our great fans. I would be lying to you if I said I would not think about that but I think about that every day.”

But besides a renewed sense of gratitude for the game of basketball, Thompson also previewed a new perspective he will project towards life in general and social injustices. After the murder of George Floyd, Thompson has seen teammates like Juan Toscano-Anderson take a leading role in calling out systemic inequities and said he will be doing much of the same going forward.

“I learned that the cards are stacked against a lot of people,” Thompson said as quoted in a story by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole. “I was the son of an NBA player. So, for a lot of my life, I was able to operate in spaces with a lot of white people, a lot of people who come from great families (who) go to college, who are lawyers, doctors.”

Thompson, after all, has had a chance to sit on the sidelines and watch the Black Lives Matter movement become more mainstream in society and come to the forefront of the NBA during the 2020 Bubble.

Teams decided not to take the court after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and as Thompson ramps up to take the court, he said he will have more of what he has learned in mind. 

“I've learned as professional athletes and NBA players, we have a platform,” Thompson said. “It's alright to do what we want with that platform, but let's pay more attention to social-justice issues or promote your own business or a small business or the community. World leaders sometimes don't have as big a platform as we can, and I think it's great we voice not only our frustrations, but we empower communities that may be marginalized.”

Part of the NBA media has pointed out Thompson’s growth as a public presence in this stage of his career, and it does seem like his comfort level and his social consciousness have improved. He poignantly reflected on a challenging year for the world at-large and for Thompson personally, as he dealt with a second devastating knee injury and the loss of his grandmother.

“2020 really showed us that the world needs more love,” Thompson said.

It’s hard not to agree, and if yesterday’s Media Day showed anything, it’s that the world needs more of Klay, especially this version.