"It wasn't intentional" - Danny Green looks back on the play that injured Klay Thompson's ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals
NBA and Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson's highly anticipated return to the court has piqued the interest of all basketball fans around the world.
Klay Thompson picked up an ACL injury against the Toronto Raptors nearly three years ago in the 2019 NBA Finals. Danny Green attempted to block a shot from Thompson while chasing him down. Subsequently, the Warriors star landed awkwardly on his left leg and Green was called for the foul.
Speaking to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Danny Green spoke about the incident with the Warriors star and how much he regrets it. Green said:
"If I can take that play back, I would. No one wants to see a great player go down, and no one wants to be the cause of that. It wasn't intentional. I’m glad that he’s back. The game has missed him."
Klay Thompson finally made his comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the former All-Star dropped 17 points in 20 minutes of action on the court for the Warriors.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green talks to @YahooSports on being excited to have Klay Thompson back and on his role in the ACL tear: 'If I can take that play back, I would' sports.yahoo.com/danny-green-on…
How important is the return of Klay Thompson?
With the Splash brothers now reunited with Thompson and Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors are primed to go very deep into the postseason this year. Holding championship aspirations, if Thompson can get back to the level that he was, there is no doubt that the Warriors have the capability to win the title this season.
Also Checkout:- Danny Green Wife
The All-Star guard is averaging 19.5 points on nearly 42% shooting from beyond the arc for his career. He is a bonafide sharpshooter and, along with Steph Curry, is lethal from all angles and ranges on the court. The duo have wreaked havoc from three-point territory and can get going immediately and on any given night.
Klay Thompson: 60 points are most in a game in fewer than 30 minutes played in shot clock era (via @EliasSports) https://t.co/BKNw7d5SW6
As things stand, Curry is having an MVP caliber season. With Klay coming back into the fold, there is going to be even more space for both of them. This will allow them to get open looks more often and with someone like Draymond Green running the offense, it spells even more danger for the opposition.
His defense is also widely renowned among the NBA community. His ability to guard the perimeter is something unique as there are very few elite 3&D guys left in the NBA at that level. The Warriors have the best defensive rating in the league thus far and the addition of Thompson could make them even better. Along with the likes of Draymond Green and Gary Peyton II, Thompson can carry the workload defensively for the Warriors, especially in close games.
Either way, Thompson's return is a warning to the rest of the NBA. The best team in the league just added an All-Star and one of the greatest shooters of all time and became exponentially better.