Warriors' Klay Thompson: Injuries Like ACL Tear Are 'Most Tragic Part of Sports'

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson did not hold back when classifying injuries in sports. 

They are "obviously the most tragic part of sports" he told ESPN’s Cari Champion on Thursday in his first extensive interview since he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the Warriors’ NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors in June.

"I knew I did something. But I've never had the severity of an ACL injury or an injury that bad," he said. "So me, personally, I didn't think it was that bad, initially. My adrenaline was so high being Game 6, whatever. I thought I sprained my knee; that's all I thought it was … It's just not a good feeling when you feel helpless and the team's out there competing."

Injuries plagued the Warriors’ fifth consecutive run to the NBA Finals.

DeMarcus Cousins signed with the team after he ruptured his Achilles with the New Orleans Pelicans and was less than 100 percent for much of the campaign. He suffered a quad injury that also forced him to miss the entire second and third rounds of the postseason.

Kevin Durant missed the end of the second-round series with the Houston Rockets and the entirety of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers before he ruptured his Achilles when he attempted to return in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Even with all of that, the Warriors were leading the Raptors in the second half of Game 6 and on the verge of forcing a Game 7 after falling behind 3-1 in the series before Thompson suffered his injury. It was ultimately too much to overcome, and Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors to victory down the stretch.

The injury didn’t stop the Warriors from offering Thompson, who has been with the team his entire career since they selected him in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft, a max deal.

"So it was humbling, but the Warriors showed their loyalty and their respect for me, offering me that five-year deal," Thomson said. "Jumped on that as soon as I could, just because the history with this team and the franchise it would be so hard to leave. And the feeling of, you know, unfinished business, getting that close in the Finals, or to the fourth championship—tasting it—just being out of reach.

"It's the pain of sports, but it's what keeps me motivated."

That motivation won’t play out on the court for some time. He told Champion he doesn’t expect to be back before the All-Star break, which means the Warriors will need to find ways to win without him after Durant, Cousins and Andre Iguodala all either signed or were traded elsewhere this offseason.

That will put the pressure on Stephen Curry to carry the offense, although the addition of D’Angelo Russell and the return of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney will help.

If they can keep the Warriors above water while Thompson heals, the five-time defending Western Conference champions figure to be dangerous come playoff time even without many of their key pieces from recent years.