"For Dominique to seek me out and give that inspiration, that meant a whole lot to me" - Klay Thompson thankful for Dominique Wilkin's support in his recovery from a torn Achilles
Klay Thompson's long road to recovery has been completed in time as he gears up for the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Thompson missed a total of 941 days after two devastating injuries. Klay recently revealed that former NBA player Dominique Wilkins helped him during his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon.
In an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews, Thompson was asked about the people who supported him the most during his rehab. The three-time NBA champ noted that Kevin Durant reached out to him, but it was the Atlanta Hawks legend who gave him inspiration. He said:
"There's a lot of great, great players who reached out to me. Obviously talked to KD when I did it, he told me I was going to be fine the day after. Dominique Wilkins, I saw him before we played the Hawks this season in San Francisco and just talked to him about the recovery process."
Thompson added:
"For Dominique to seek me out and give me that inspiration, that meant a whole lot to me. His highlights and reels are timeless. There's still not a lot of people who can jump like that in today's NBA. For him to go through what he did and win a EuroLeague Cup and be an All-Star again, it just gave me so much hope to just stick with the plan."
Dominique Wilkins ruptured his Achilles tendon midway through the 1991-92 NBA season. Wilkins was already 32 years old when it happened, but he recovered way ahead of schedule and returned at the start of next season. "The Human Highlight Film" averaged 29.9 points per game and was named an All-Star.
The Hawks legend stayed in the NBA until 1995 before signing with Panathinaikos in Greece. He ended up winning a EuroLeague championship before returning to the league. Wilkins played for the San Antonio Spurs in 1997 and with the Orlando Magic in his final season in 1999.
Can Klay Thompson win the NBA Finals MVP?
The Golden State Warriors are slightly favored to win the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. Steph Curry is the favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP if the Warriors win, with Klay Thompson coming in second. People know what a Finals MVP would do to Curry's legacy, but what about to Thompson's?
Winning the NBA Finals MVP would give credence to the view of Thompson being one of the greatest players in history. He felt that he was snubbed from the NBA 75 and adding the Bill Russell MVP trophy to his resume will give him a strong case when the league announces the 100th Anniversary Team.
It will also award Thompson's hard work and dedication to coming back from two devastating and career-threatening injuries. He made it through a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon in two years to make it back to the NBA Finals. Despite struggling with his shot since his return, Klay has found his groove at the right time.