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The sharpshooting 30-year-old missed all of last season with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered during the finals last year and the three-time NBA champion was poised for a big season alongside fellow “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry.
While Thompson’s return to NBA action will have to wait, early indications suggest he will be able to fully heal.
There has been an outpouring of support for the well-liked Thompson from basketball community since news of the injury surfaced less than two hours before Wednesday night’s NBA draft.
“Devastating loss,” ESPN’s NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith said in a video message on Twitter.
“My heart goes out to him. Good guy, one of the greatest shooters this game has ever seen,” he said.
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“Bad for him, bad for the league, bad for us not to see him out there. It’s a damn shame.”
After making the NBA Finals five years in a row, the Warriors posted the worst record in the league last season as Thompson and Curry were both sidelined by injuries.
“Prayers and empathy go out to @KlayThompson,” wrote former Warriors great Rick Barry on Twitter.
“Having had injuries that kept me away from the game, I know how devastating it can be emotionally. If anyone can get through this and come back, I’m sure it’s Klay with his great work ethic.”
Thompson was drafted by Golden State with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Washington State. The five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion owns a career average of 19.5 points in 615 games over his eight NBA seasons. He has a career shooting percentage of 41.9 per cent from three-point range.
The NBA regular season gets underway on December 22.
