May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles as Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (1) defends during the second half in game four of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been a confusing few days for the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson after Trevor Ariza’s knee cleanly landed on Thompson’s head in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. After seeing the replay you were definitely concerned for his well-being, but he was able to return to bench.
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Thompson developed concussion symptoms after the game, but yesterday Thompson’s agent said his client was not concussed and had cleared all the test. Well, that has now changed.
The Warriors have officially announced that Thompson did in fact suffer a concussion and will not be able to return to the court until all his symptoms are gone:
Klay Thompson Injury Update pic.twitter.com/A9fG1XGRNl
— GSWStats (@gswstats) May 29, 2015
This is definitely a surprise. How can there be so many conflicting reports on Thompson’s concussion status? The NBA Finals are still six days away, so it’s not like the Warriors need him to return to the court immediately.
It would be shocking if Thompson was not ready for Game 1, but now Warriors fans have something to worry about until Thursday. The team will keep a close eye on Thompson as they move forward, but only rest will help the Splash Brother fully recover.
Head injuries can be serious, especially if you rack up multiple concussions, but they are rare in the NBA. However, the NBA and the Warriors must adapt a new concussion protocol because he should have never been allowed to return to the game.