NBA players send messages of support to Klay Thompson following brutal knee injury

Jordan Greer

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NBA players send messages of support to Klay Thompson following brutal knee injury image

The 2019 NBA Finals took a heavy toll on the Warriors, and it had nothing to do with the result of the series.

After losing Kevin Durant to a ruptured Achilles in Game 5, Golden State saw All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson go down with a serious injury Thursday night in the third quarter of Game 6. Thompson attempted to finish a dunk on a fast break, but he was fouled by Danny Green. When he landed, he put all of his weight on his left leg and quickly dropped to the ground.

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Thompson shockingly returned to the floor to shoot his free throws, but the Warriors fouled on the next possession to stop the clock and sub Thompson out of the game. Apparently he anticipated being able to return in no time at all.

"I think there was just two minutes left in the third, and [Thompson] said just a two-minute rest, I'll be ready," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "And next thing I heard was he was done for the night from Drew Yoder, our trainer."

Unfortunately for Thompson, the injury is much more serious than he thought. The Warriors announced Thompson had suffered a torn left ACL, which will likely sideline him for the majority of the 2019-20 season.

Plenty of NBA players reacted to the news and sent messages of support to Thompson, including Golden State center Jordan Bell.

Thompson scored 30 points in 32 minutes before exiting Game 6, a 114-110 victory for the Raptors that gave Toronto its first NBA title. 

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.