After missing the last 1.5 seasons due to two injuries, five-time All-Star Klay Thompson will return to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in a home game against the Cleveland Cavs. It’s the hottest ticket in the NBA right now, with the Warriors/Cavs game fetching $15,000 on the secondary market to witness Thompson’s season debut.
The Warriors host the Cavs at Chase Center in downtown San Francisco on Sunday. StubHub listed their cheapest ticket at $222, and that’s for a nosebleed seat in the upper corner. StubHub also has a listing for a pair of courtside seats for $15,000, and another pair listed for $10,000 to witness Thompson’s long-awaited return.
“I want it to be in front of our fans,” said Thompson. “They deserve it.”
The Splash Brothers will be reunited for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals when Thompson went down with a knee injury against the Toronto Raptors. He tore his ACL, then he blew out his Achilles in 2020 while rehabbing his knee injury.
During the 2018-19 season, Thompson averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
The Warriors play one quick home game on Sunday before they depart the Bay Area for a four-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Just add Klay
The Warriors (29-8) have the best record in the NBA and currently occupy the #1 seed in the Western Conference. With the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz nipping at their heels, the Warriors are eager to get Thompson back in the lineup.
Steph Curry is in the middle of an MVP season averaging 26.8 ppg, but head coach Steve Kerr would like to get Curry as much rest as possible to keep him fresh for the postseason.
It could take a bit of time before Thompson shakes off the rust and integrates himself back into the offense. But one thing is for certain; the fans can’t wait to see Thompson catch fire and light up opposing defenses on the perimeter. Thompson is a career 42% shooter from beyond the arc and he had two seasons in which he connected on 44% of his treys.
If the Warriors nearly won 30 games this season without Thompson, they will be even more dangerous with him back on the team.
The Warriors are the second favorite on the NBA futures board at +550 odds to win the 2022 NBA Championship. The Brooklyn Nets are the consensus favorites at +250 odds, according to most Las Vegas sportsbooks, and they just got Kyrie Irving back in the lineup for road games. It’s crazy to think that the top two teams in the NBA were each missing a star player.