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Klay humbled by ACL injury, proud of return in Finals

Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It's been three months since Klay Thompson tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, and the Golden State Warriors star is still playing back the injury in his head.

"That's just the humbling part of sports - when you feel like you're at your best, something traumatic can happen," Thompson told The Athletic's Marcus Thompson. "But I honestly felt like I was at the peak of my NBA career up to that point. I was at my best. The way I was shooting the ball, the way I was playing defense.

"I felt like I was one of the best players out there. In past series, or Finals, you know, I've been able to defer. But in that series, I felt like I was just, like, as close to unstoppable as I’ve ever been."

Thompson averaged 26 points on 54.1% shooting - including a sizzling 58.5% clip from distance - during the championship series. He had scored 28 points and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe before his injury late in the third quarter came during a dunk attempt.

It didn't appear the All-Star guard would be able to continue. He remained on the floor for several minutes before being helped off the court by his teammates.

Thompson was on his way to the locker room when he was told he needed to shoot his free throws to be eligible to return.

The 29-year-old didn't know at the time that he tore his ACL and turned back to the court without hesitation. Thompson proceeded to hit both free throws before leaving the game for good, and he takes pride in his decision to return.

"I don't know," Thompson said. "It was just something in me that told me to. And, I don't know, man, it's The Finals, you know? I don't want to leave points on the board. Those are hard to get. So many dudes have a whole illustrious career and never even got a sniff of The Finals. I was very lucky to be in that position.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal after The Finals ended. But as time goes on and I watch the video and hear the roar of the crowd, I realize it's a pretty big deal. That's No. 1 because I think it shows people how much I care, how bad I want to be out there. It showed them that I'm all in with this basketball thing."

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