Klay Thompson has a unanimous approval with Warriors fans and for good reason. He's one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, a top-tier two-way player and an unselfish teammate who always shows up on the biggest stage.
Couple all that with Thompson's unique personality, and it's easy to see why fans want to see him play his entire career in the Bay Area.
Being one part of a three- and four-pronged attack with Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant could be hard on some stars. There's usually not enough oxygen for three or four future Hall of Famers to be on one team, at least not in the long term. But Thompson doesn't care about all that. He just wants to hoop, which is what makes Thompson special.
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"The best thing about Klay -- he's all heart -- he just lets his game talk," Warriors assistant coach Jarron Collins said on the latest episode of the Runnin' Plays podcast. "Nothing really seems to faze him. He's just right out there letting his game talk on both ends of the floor, getting after it. Like I said, it's an honor and really a privilege to coach these guys and work with these guys."
Thompson missed all of this past season as he worked to rehab the torn ACL he suffered in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. He recently was medically cleared and has been training without restrictions. Now, he will work to get the rest of his body back into game shape with the Warriors not expected to play an NBA game again until December due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
[RELATED: Collins believes Steph, Warriors will return to top of NBA]
With Thompson missing the entire season and Curry missing all but five games, the Warriors sunk to the bottom of the NBA, going a league-worst 15-50.
Golden State Warriors
Thompson, Curry and the Warriors heard all the talk of their demise as they rested, rehabbed and recalibrated for what they hope is the second act of their dynasty. Thompson is set on proving all of the Warriors' doubters wrong, and Curry has promised the dynasty isn't over.
A fully healthy Warriors team with Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins should vault back into the thick of Western Conference contention.
There's no doubt the NBA enjoyed the Warriors' gap year. Unfortunately for them, that reprieve is likely to be short-lived.
[RUNNIN' PLAYS PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]