Warriors News: Klay Thompson Explains ‘Mental Block’ During Offseason

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.


Getty

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.

Last year was an up-and-down season for the Golden State Warriors. Obviously, it all culminated in a championship win, but they dealt with injuries for the majority of the season. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson all missed time.

For Thompson, though, all the missed time was worth it last year. He finally made his return to the court after missing over two seasons of action due to multiple injuries. However, heading into next year, Thompson is still facing a few roadblocks.

Thompson did not appear in Golden State’s first preseason game, as it was reported that the team is being extra careful with him. And according to Thompson himself, it was hard for him to get on the court this summer because of his past injuries.

“I didn’t play a lot this summer. It was hard to,” Thompson stated “Especially what I went through the last summer I was healthy, popping my Achilles. It was really hard for me to get out there. Just mentally, it was hard.”

After tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson re-injured himself last summer when he tore his Achilles. He was unable to play in the 2020-21 season, but finally made his way back last year, just in time to help the Warriors win their fourth title in eight years.

The Warriors star also spoke about how taxing last season was and the mental block he faced this summer.


Thompson Had ‘Mental Block’ This Offseason

Due to his injuries from last summer, Thompson struggled to play a bit this summer. He also said that, with how taxing the season was, Thompson said that it was hard to get on the court so soon after their playoff run.

“It’s hard to explain, it’s like a mental block in a way,” Thompson explained. “I’m going to face it one day, but this season was so taxing, with the whole coming back. It was hard to win a championship and then a month later, play. It was a lot. But I look forward to playing summer basketball again.”

At 32 years old, Thompson is entering the latter stages of his career, but he still has a few years of top-notch basketball left. He has two guaranteed years left on his contract before he’ll be in need of a new extension.

Despite that, the Warriors are still taking precautionary measures when it comes to Thompson’s playing time. However, just because he’s not playing a ton during Golden State’s games, Thompson did win a three-point contest.


Thompson Mocks Teammate After Win

While in Japan, Thompson competed in a three-point contest. He was on the team as Curry, and one of their opponents was Jordan Poole. After Thompson and Curry won the contest, Thompson said it felt good to “humble” Poole.

“I love shooting the basketball, especially on the same team as Steph. I’ve gone against him twice in the three-point shootout, so it was nice to have a combination of great shooting. And it was nice to humble Jordan Poole,” Thompson said with a smile.

So, while Thompson continues to battle the mental block caused by his past injuries, at least he can find joy in taking down one of his younger teammates.

You May Also Like

Herschel Walker’s mom is the latest family member to speak out against his claims – HotAir

Herschel Walker’s mother is speaking out against a claim that her son…

Andrew Shue ‘too classy’ for Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes drama

ABC has washed its hands of the Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes…

The real heroes of Tennessee – HotAir

The Washington Post has a charming article celebrating the heroes of Tennessee.…

We’re fighting this from the jump — and it won’t take long – HotAir

What happens today when prosecutors book a former American president for the…