Kevin Durant Says He Was 'Devastated' by Klay Thompson's Achilles Injury

If anyone knows what it is like to overcome an Achilles injury, it is Kevin Durant, which surely contributed to his feelings about former Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson.

"I was devastated for him," he told Kerith Burke of NBC Sports. "To think about Klay sitting out two full years of basketball, I just couldn't envision that for Klay. He loves to play, he loves to show up to practice every day, he loves to be around the guys. ... I know he's gonna come back and have a remarkable second half of his career."

Durant said he talked to Thompson following the latter's surgery.

Both players missed the 2019-20 season because of injuries they suffered during Golden State's loss to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Durant was sidelined during his first season with the Brooklyn Nets because of an Achilles injury, while Thompson did not play because of a torn ACL. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they will be without the latter this season as well because of the Achilles injury he suffered during the offseason.

The pair won two championships together and reached another NBA Finals during Durant's three seasons with Golden State as key cogs on one of the best teams in league history. The hope for the Warriors in 2020-21 was they would once again be among the NBA's best with Thompson and Stephen Curry leading the way, but they will only have one Splash Brother.

How Durant looks in his first regular-season game since suffering his own injury will be a primary storyline in Tuesday's season opener.

His Nets face the Warriors in a highly anticipated showdown, although Draymond Green will not play because of a muscle strain in his right foot, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Golden State will be fighting an uphill battle this season, but Durant expects Thompson to still be his dominant self when he returns.