It’s no secret the Warriors’ Klay Thompson has struggled in the 2022 Finals, but the Splash Brother is hoping a recent swim in the San Francisco Bay will rekindle his shooting mojo.
“The ocean heals the mind, body & soul,” Thompson posted on his Instagram with a picture of him in the Bay.
Thompson is shooting 35.8 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point range in four Finals games.
Namaste Klay is ready for Game 5 🧘♂️
[Via @KlayThompson IG] pic.twitter.com/ssVnMbbGCm
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 12, 2022
A boating enthusiast, Thompson captained his Axopar 37 Cabin boat out on the Bay during his 31-month rehab from two lower leg injuries.
The 5-time All-Star tore his ACL in his left knee during the 2019 NBA Finals and then tore his right Achilles during a pickup basketball game before the start of the 2020-21 season.
The water became a place of solace and refuge for Thomspon.
“Boating helped me through some hard days, man,” Thompson said in a YouTube video. “It [boating] just put life in perspective and helped me so much. There’s something about the ocean that’s calming and therapeutic and resets your whole soul. It was some really good days during some not-so-fun times.”
“There’s nothing like an early morning launch at the harbor. There’s nothing really better besides winning a championship,” said Thompson. “Boating is second to playing ball and feeling the thrills of that competition.”
Now Thompson hopes a return to the water will transpire into a return of his shooting game to help ease the load for Steph Curry.
Curry is averaging 34.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this series and put up 43 points in the Warriors’ Game 4 win.
Thompson is averaging 17.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
All eyes have been on Thompson waiting to see if the three-time champion would come back as strong from his injuries, but Curry doesn’t seem worried.
“We’ve seen it year after year after year. We’ve seen him [Thompson] impact series with breakout games. He’s got the nickname ‘Game 6 Klay’ for a reason,” Curry told ESPN’s Malika Andrews in an interview.
Boston and Golden State tip off Game 5 Monday at 9 pm ET at Chase Center.
