When Warriors guard Klay Thompson announced his return via Instagram on Jan. 8, ticket prices skyrocketed from $200 to nearly $2,000 for seats in the first levels of Chase Center.

Paying $2,000 for a regular-season game would be insane, but this wasn’t just any regular-season game.

The hype surrounding the return of the splash brother gained so much traction within the hours of his announcement. Everyone was going to tune in to support Thompson’s return from two of the most gruesome injuries any athlete can sustain.

The game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers was originally a regularly scheduled program on NBC Sports Bay Area, but after the announcement, NBA TV quickly picked up the game and switched the viewing to a nationally broadcasted game.

As such, according to basketballnews.com, the game registered around 844,000 viewers, which was the most views garnered for a regular-season game since 2016.

Additionally, NBC Sports Bay Area still had an average of 12.7 household viewers.

The Warriors always generate great viewership for the league, as earlier this season, ESPN demoted a game featuring Lebron James in favor of showing a potential Western Conference Finals preview between the Warriors and Suns on Dec. 3.

The game on Nov. 30 registered 2.4 million viewers on TNT, and the rematch got 2.29 for ESPN, which was only second to the season opener versus the Lakers that received 3.39 million viewers.

Klay’s return was a monumental occasion that was worthy of such numbers.

Even though Number 11 was a five-time All-Star and nationally recognized as the second greatest shooter of all time, Klay’s low-maintenance demeanor makes him likable to any basketball fan.

His offseason adventures on his Instagram Lives have always been a great source of entertainment, whether it’s teaching Warriors’ center James Wiseman the ropes of boating, showing off his martial arts skills, or hanging out with his dog Rocco.

Unlike other superstars around the league who parade around models and often find themselves in unnecessary off-the-court distractions and drama, Klay handles his business professionally night in and night out.

Klay’s return was not only great for Warriors fans, but it was great for the league. The story of persevering from two horrible injuries represents what it means to be a Warrior.

The introductions of Klay in the starting lineup accumulated 22.3 million views, which was the second-most viewed video on NBA’s Instagram ever.

The roars of Chase Center were once reminiscent of the crowd at the legendary Oracle Arena, as the fans exploded into madness once Klay was introduced.

Normally, that spot would be given to Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry, but Klay deserved to be showered by the hollering fans of Chase Center.

Klay would finish the game with 17 points in 20 minutes, which included one thunderous jam.

(Photo credit: Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images)