Curry speaks about Thompson injury: ‘ Tragic for a guy as talented and hungry as Klay’ after prior pain and rehab.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry, in his first extended public comments about teammate Klay Thompson since Thompson’s seasonending torn Achilles tendon, called the injury “tragic” in the wake of his long rehabilitation from last year’s torn ACL.
Curry, in a phone interview Monday night with The Chronicle, paused and struggled a bit to string together his reply when he was asked about Thompson’s injury.
“Yeah, there’s not much to say,” Curry said. “It’s just tragic for a guy as talented and hungry as Klay to come back from his ACL ( injury), and all that took, and now he has to wait another year. There are no real words to put that in context.”
Curry had posted a brief message on his Instagram story last week, simply encouraging “my brother” @ KlayThompson to “stay strong.”
Thompson sustained the injury to his right Achilles during a pickup game Wednesday in Los
Angeles, only hours before the NBA draft. An MRI exam the next day revealed the extent of his injury, which will sideline him for the entire 202021 season.
Thompson missed last season after suffering a torn left ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals against Toronto in June 2019. Before this Achilles injury, he had participated in the Warriors’ offseason minicamp with little restriction and seemed on track to be 100% for the start of training camp next week.
The NBA will begin its season Dec. 22.
“We’ll figure out the basketball part,” Curry said. “It’s more about him having the support he needs going into rehab. Hopefully, everyone is sending thoughts and prayers. It’s going to be a long road. It’s kind of tough. There’s not much else to say.” — Ron Kroichick
Cavs add familiar names: The Cavaliers found either a temporary replacement for Tristan Thompson or an asset to bring in other talent when they acquired center JaVale McGee and a 2026 secondround draft pick from the Lakers for forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell. The teams agreed to the deal on Sunday but needed league approval before finalizing it.
Also, the team has a worked out an agreement with free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, one of the Cavs’ most popular players. The Australia native once starred at St. Mary’s. He averaged 3.1 points in 14 minutes per game last season.
McGee, who won NBA titles during two seasons with Golden State before two in Los Angeles, gives the Cavaliers a proven frontline player who can protect the rim and give starting center Andre Drummond a break. The 30yearold McGee also has an expiring contract, which makes him appealing to teams looking to create salarycap space.
The Lakers needed to move McGee to make room for free agent center Marc Gasol.
Thompson left the Cavs last week, agreeing to a twoyear free agent contract with the Celtics. The Cavaliers weren’t expected to hang on to Thompson, and his departure further separates the organization from its run of four NBA Finals in four years ( 201518).