When Kevin Durant revealed he was in touch with Klay Thompson during his recovery: "He’s chomping at the bit to get back out"

Back in 2019, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson suffered tough leg injuries and the Golden State Warriors fell short of their third straight NBA championship. They lost to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors.

Durant then changed teams and moved to the Brooklyn Nets. He only played in 35 games during his first season on the floor, as he recovered from his injury. Durant sat out the entirety of the shortened 2019-20 season with the Nets.

Meanwhile, Thompson re-injured his leg and sat out two full seasons. Thompson finally returned for part of the 2021-22 season.

While both players were dealing with their recoveries, they remained in contact despite no longer being teammates. Kevin Durant said the two spoke frequently with each other while rehabbing. He had the first-hand knowledge of how badly Klay Thompson wanted to return to the court.

“He’s chomping at the bit to get back out,” Durant said of Thompson.

They spoke a couple of times a week during Thompson’s rehab. The conversations continued, even when Durant returned to the floor and Thompson still had to watch from the bench.

“Me and Klay talk pretty often, a couple of times a week," Durant said. "It’s good to see him starting to walk and getting his boot. Obviously, I know what that process is like. “Can’t wait to see him back out there.”

Thompson’s second injury was an Achilles tear. Durant suffered the same painful injury during his last season with the Warriors in the playoffs.

Durant’s successful recovery from his injury was likely an inspiration for Thompson to complete his tough return to the court. Both players have made it back to the NBA now.

Durant has dealt with other injuries that have prevented him from playing a full season. Thompson is back in the starting lineup for the Warriors but has taken a bit of a step-back after his tough injuries.

Durant averaged 26.9 points per game in his 35 games with the Nets in his first season back from the Achilles injury. He has averaged at least 25.0 ppg in every season since the injury. However, Durant has not played more than 55 games in a regular season. He hopes to finally play a full year with the newly loaded Phoenix Suns next season.

Thompson played just 32 games and average 22.9 ppg in the 2021-22 regular season when he returned following his Achilles injury. He also averaged 19.0 ppg in the Warriors playoff run to the 2022 title.