Warriors' Klay Thompson on Injury Setbacks: 'Still Have Many More Chapters to Write'

Klay Thompson still hasn't returned to the court for the Golden State Warriors, and the three-time NBA champion reflected on his time away during his team's game Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center. 

"I really miss the winning," Thompson said on the ESPN broadcast. "... I think these last two years have given me a great sense of appreciation for the work it takes to be great, and my story is still being written. So, I'm not satisfied with where my career is at. I still have many more chapters to write."

Thompson missed the 2019-20 season with a torn ACL, which he suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. He also sat out the 2020-21 campaign with a torn Achilles.

To put it into context, the last time the five-time All-Star played an NBA game, Anthony Davis was still on the New Orleans Pelicans, Jimmy Butler was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Chris Paul was a member of the Houston Rockets.

Thompson is on the verge of returning to action, and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday that his comeback would be "a huge factor" for the team. 

"There's a sense of anticipation and energy that is directly linked to Klay's return," Kerr told reporters. "Andre [Iguodala] coming back to the team adds to that. There's just a really good sense of who we are and what's ahead, and everybody is very excited about that."

The Athletic's Anthony Slater recently told the HoopsHype Podcast that Thompson likely wouldn't return until at least mid-December, noting "the Warriors are so careful with him." The shooting guard had his Achilles surgery last November. 

Even with Thompson sidelined, the Warriors entered Friday's game against the Pelicans with a 6-1 record (second in the Western Conference), which is impressive given the fact that the team missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons without him. 

Golden State is getting solid production out of players such as Jordan Poole and Damion Lee, and once Thompson returns, the Warriors should once again be one of the scariest teams in the West.