Klay Thompson Passes Concussion Test, Able To Play In Game One Of NBA Finals

Following his brutal injury, there was plenty of speculation about whether Klay Thompson would start or even in play in the NBA Finals. Well, after officially passing the concussion test yesterday, the shooting guard has been cleared for tomorrow’s game one, according to Rusty Simmons.

Klay Thompson Passes Concussion Test

In game five of the Western Conference Finals, Houston’s Trevor Ariza jumped to block Klay’s shot, connecting his knee with the shooting guard’s head. After being removed from the game — his ear was later seen bleeding from the impact — he celebrated the Warriors 104-90 series clinching win with his teammates.

However, Thompson, who appeared fine in his post-game interview, noticed the loud locker room music was bothering him. And following his dad driving him home for precautionary reasons, the shooting guard vomited twice, which are all indications of a concussion.

So it was a bit worrisome for Golden State fans, knowing a key piece of the puzzle could miss some game time. But since both Conference Finals ended so early, there was a record setting seven day waiting period, giving Thompson plenty of time to heal up.

And after practicing Monday and Tuesday with the team, he was given the league’s concussion protocol test. “It’s looking like I’ll be ready for Thursday,” Thompson said before the test. “I’m 99.9 percent positive I will be.”

So he was examined by the Warrior’s medical staff, who performed the NBA’s concussion protocol test. Following this, the medical staff met with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the test, to discuss their findings. And as a result, Thompson has been cleared to play in tomorrow night’s game one against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thompson, who made the all-star game for the first time in his career, has been a key offensive and defensive piece for the Golden State Warriors. During the 2014-15 season, he averaged 21.7 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG and 3.2 RPG — with most of the rebounds being on the defensive side of the ball. And this is not even mentioning his amazing three-point shooting, where he ranked fifth in league in three-point percentage with .439 and second, behind Steph Curry, in three pointers made with 239.

“You need as many two-way players as you can find, and Klay sort of defines that,” Coach Kerr commented. “He’s a great defender, on the ball especially, and he can hit a shot from anywhere. That’s the reason we gave him a big contract.”

The finals begin tomorrow at 9 pm EST on ABC.