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          NBA players celebrate Klay Thompson's return after more than two years

          • ESPN
          Jan 9, 2022, 10:20 PM ET

          For the last two years, Klay Thompson's Instagram has been a place for fans to follow along with the Golden State Warriors guard while he's been away from the game. In addition to updates on his recovery from a torn ACL and an Achilles tear, Thompson has given fans an inside look at how he's spent his 941 days away from the NBA.

          Staying true to form, Thompson took to Instagram on Saturday to announce his return. Sharing a clip from "Space Jam," Thompson captioned the post, "How I'm pulling up to chase [Center] tomorrow."

          "IM SO EXCITED TO SEE YALL DUBNATION! LETS GET IT," Thompson wrote.

          Thompson also shared a message from the team's account, in which he had four words for fans.

          "Dub Nation, I'm back."

          Ahead of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, several of Thompson's teammates took to social media to celebrate the Splash Brother's return. Stephen Curry went so far as to change his Twitter profile picture to a photo of Thompson.

          Draymond Green, who also took to Twitter to celebrate "Klay Day," was so determined to honor Thompson that he was on the court for the opening tipoff despite being sidelined with an injury.

          Thompson's teammates weren't the only ones excited for his return. Several players from around the league took to social media to welcome the Warriors guard back to the court.

          Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James shared his excitement via emojis, while Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Patrick Beverley and Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell kept their messages simple.

          Even Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade woke up excited for Thompson's long-awaited return.

          The excitement continued prior to tipoff as Thompson's Warriors teammates showed up to the arena rocking various Klay jerseys for the occasion.

          The energy was palpable as the Splash Bro received his first Chase Center introduction, much to the delight of the crowd.

          Then the 31-year-old wasted no time getting his first bucket.

          Thompson's warm reception extended beyond the basketball world as Bay Area rappers, and noted Warriors fans, MC Hammer and G-Eazy took to Twitter to express their feelings on the five-time All-Star's return.

          In the second quarter, Thompson got the Golden State bench on its feet when he threw down this dunk:

          If Klay dunking made you feel some type of way, you might be interested to know he drained a 3 too.

          Yup, still pure.