Warriors Star Klay Thompson Reveals How Hall of Famer Dominque Wilkins, Who Had Iconic Battles vs Michael Jordan, Inspired His NBA Return

Klay Thompson has revealed that former NBA All-Star Dominique Wilkins inspired him to come back and play. Klay, who was sidelined for three years due to injuries, was asked by former player Richard Jefferson whether there was anyone outside of the Golden State Warriors organization that gave him support. The Warriors shooting guard mentioned Kevin Durant and how the latter told him that he will be fine the day after.

He said, “Dominique Wilkins was the one I saw. I saw him before we played the Hawks this season in San Francisco and just talked to him about the recovery process and what he did to lead the league in scoring next year and be an All-Star. It gave me a ton of motivation and that was like 30 years ago. For Dominique, to seek me out and give me inspiration.”

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Klay said it meant a whole lot to him and praised Dominique’s jump, saying that not many can repeat it in the NBA today. Wilkins winning a EuroLeague Final MVP and being an All-Star reiterated Klay’s desire to stick to his plan.

Klay Thompson and Dominique Wilkins: Injury histories

Dominique Wilkins suffered various injuries from 1994-95. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in 1991-92. His 28.1 scoring average was the highest he had scored in five years. He also scored 52 points in a double-overtime game on the 7th of December against the New York Knicks, which were the most by an NBA player that season.

He also suffered a ring finger injury in December 1992. Wilkins put up 29.4 points per game on .487 shooting upon his return in January. He, then, scored 31.5 points per game on .519 shooting in February. By the end of the season, his scoring per game was up to 29.9. Wilkins came second in the league only behind Michael Jordan’s 32.6.

Klay Thompson was sidelined for almost three years. He turned over his ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors. After that, in 2020, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury. Hence, it left him not playing two consecutive seasons for the Warriors.

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He finally returned in January of this year and is raring to play the Finals against the Boston Celtics. Klay will hope to win his 4th ring with the Warriors.