Klay Thompson is paying tribute to those who helped him overcome a difficult injury.
Moments after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-99, a game in which Thompson dropped 22 points and snatched eight rebounds, he was greeted by someone who helped him return to basketball after tearing his Achilles in November 2020.
Thompson met with Dr. Richard Ferkel in the Crypto.com tunnel to present him with a championship ring from when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games during the 2022 NBA Finals.
"Oh my gosh, this is unbelievable," Dr. Ferkel said once he laid eyes on the shiny piece of hardware.
Thompson, who was in his ninth season with the Warriors, averaged 20.4 points in the regular season just behind leading scorer Stephen Curry's 25.5 points per game. During the postseason, Thompson averaged 19 points per game behind Curry's 27.4.
"Without you, I would not have been the second-leading scorer on a championship team. ... I can't thank you enough, are you kidding me? I didn't even think that was possible," Thompson told Dr. Ferkel as he unboxed the ring.
Thompson suffered a tear to his right Achilles tendon during a 2020 workout, just after missing a portion of the previous season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
He returned to the hardwood on Jan. 9, 2022, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he scored 17 points.
Dr. Ferkel also worked on Curry's ankle in 2012, when he suffered multiple ankle sprains.
Thompson is averaging 13.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season with the Mavericks.