Klay Thompson says overcoming psychological hurdles the hardest aspect of ACL rehab

By Marcus White, NBC Sports Bay Area

Klay Thompson felt he was at the peak of his powers when he tore his ACL last June. Rehabbing from the injury has required a lot of physical work, but it arguably has necessitated even more mentally.

Jordan's Last Dance on Sky Q

Watch The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary on the 1997-98 Bulls, on Netflix via your Sky Q box

"I've been so used to playing 78-plus games a year," the Warriors star said in the recently released 'Above the Waves', a short documentary about his rehab. "With playoffs, 100. But you can either, you know, feel sorry for yourself, or you can work even harder. It's not just about getting your hours in the gym or your rehab. The psychological hurdles are probably the biggest things I need to overcome."

Relive a moment of scoring history as Klay Thompson poured in 37 points in a single quarter against the Sacramento Kings in January 2015

Thompson has not played in a game since tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the Warriors' 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Follow Sky Sports NBA on Twitter

See the NBA's best plays and stay up to date with the latest news

Golden State ruled the 'Splash Brother' out for the remainder of the season in February, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area's Logan Murdock back in October that he didn't expect Thompson to suit up in the 2019-20 season.

Image: Steve Kerr gives instructions to Klay Thompson

Kerr told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami in March after the NBA suspended its season due to the coronavirus pandemic that Thompson was "crushed" not to play this season, though Thompson had joined his team-mates for some drills.

Advertisement

Thompson had played no fewer than 66 games in a regular season prior to this year.

Klay Thompson enjoyed a stint serving as guest analyst on the TV broadcast of the win against the Chicago Bulls - and it did not disappoint!

"This is an inexact science," he said of his rehab. "It's not a mathematical equation. It's about being consistent and training the mind to be fearless. That's what this year has given me. It's a recharging."

Also See:

Thompson said in the documentary that he expects himself - and the Warriors - to return to their winning ways next season. Golden State had the NBA's worst record (15-50) with both Thompson and Stephen Curry sidelined for all but a handful of games this season, ending a streak of seven playoff appearances and five trips to the NBA Finals.

Klay Thompson set an NBA record by connecting on his first 10 three-point attempts in Warriors' win over the Lakers

Not that Thompson needed any extra motivation.

"I want to get back healthy, 100 per cent," Thompson said. "Because I want to make sure this never happens again."

Join our NBA group on Facebook

Sign up and join the NBA conversation in our Facebook group

Klay Thompson pinpoints biggest challenge of torn ACL rehab originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Want to watch even more of the NBA but don't have Sky Sports? Get the Sky Sports Action and Arena pack, click here.

Outbrain