Klay Thompson suffers another devastating injury

NBA Draft night is usually one of unbridled celebration, but a piece of terrible news made its way out just as the draft was getting underway: Golden State Warriors guard — and former Washington State Cougars standout — Klay Thompson has suffered another major injury.

The Warriors initially were mum about the extent of it, but it turned out to be achilles tendon injury in his right leg, with The Athletic saying he couldn’t put weight on it when the injury happened. The team was hopeful it wasn’t as serious as it first appeared, but tests confirmed the worst on Thursday. His agent said he should be ready for the start of the 2021-2022 season, which means Klay — age 30 — will have missed two consecutive entire seasons to injury in his prime.

“It’s one of those deals where you don’t really know until you know,” Warriors GM Bob Myers said during his media availability following the NBA Draft. “You can be hopeful; you can be concerned. I’m probably all those combined, and until we know more tomorrow, I’ll just hope for good news.”

It put a damper on what was to be a celebratory night for both Warriors and Coug fans alike; Cougs because CJ Elleby was selected in the second round — the first WSU player picked in the draft since Thompson — and Warriors fans because they selected James Wiseman with the second overall pick.

A cornerstone of one of the great five-year runs in NBA history, Thompson — a three-time champion — sat out all of last season after tearing a knee ligament in his left leg in the 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors. It appeared he was on track to return for this upcoming season, which is scheduled to start in about five weeks; he suffered the injury during a workout in southern California playing pickup ball with other NBA players.

It’s a devastating piece of news for Thompson, who had his number 1 retired by WSU this past season as he was rehabbing his knee. It’s also devastating for Warriors fans, who were dreaming of returning to glory by adding Wiseman to a team with Stephen Curry, Klay and Draymond Green all still in their primes.

Now ... everyone waits and holds their breath.

Fred Thompkins decommits from WSU

The 2021 WSU football recruiting class suffered another defection when the junior college linebacker announced he was reopening his recruitment.

Thompkins, a three-star recruit from City College of San Francisco, is the second player in the class to decommit, joining defensive back Elisha Lloyd. The Cougars now have 18 players committed; you can see the entire class here.

Links

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, injured in workout with other NBA players, will undergo an MRI on Thursday
Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who suffered a right leg injury in a workout on Wednesday in Southern California, will have an MRI on Thursday, Golden State general manager Bob Myers said Wednesday night.

NBA: Klay Thompson suffers lower leg injury in practice
Klay Thompson missed all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals.

NBA stars wish Klay Thompson well after feared Achilles injury
NBA stars came together on social media Wednesday to wish a fallen rival well.

WSU Cougars’ CJ Elleby selected by Trail Blazers with 46th pick of NBA draft | The Seattle Times
The Cleveland High product won't have to go far to begin his pro basketball career.

‘I just wanted to come back’: Washington State defensive back Daniel Isom embracing second opportunity with Cougars | The Seattle Times
Since he was dismissed from WSU last November, Daniel Isom has returned as a leader on the Cougars' defense. "I just wanted to come back and I’m just focused on...

Washington State mailbag: Discussing the present and future for shelved running back Max Borghi | SWX Right Now - Sports for Spokane, CdA, Tri-Cities, WA
Max Borghi hasn’t played a snap for Washington State this season and he’s the main topic of this week’s mailbag.

Cougar notes: WSU’s de Laura finds new way to impress his teammates | Sports | lmtribune.com
Washington State running back Deon McIntosh took a handoff, began running up the middle, then decided to bounce out toward the left sideline.

Tacoma’s Malachi Flynn selected by Raptors in first round of 2020 NBA Draft | Tacoma News Tribune
Tacoma native Malachi Flynn, who starred at Bellarmine Prep, Washington State and San Diego State, has gone from lightly-recruited high schooler to a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Green hauls in 2nd talented class at WSU | Sports | lmtribune.com
Second-year Washington State baseball coach Brian Green continued an impressive start to recruitment, reeling in 13 prospects with intriguing potential during the early signing period.