After there was a scary knee to the head which caused blood coming out of an ear and some postgame vomiting, it appears Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has a concussion after all, the team announced Friday. Thompson caught a knee to the head from Rockets forward Trevor Ariza after Thompson pump-faked and Ariza jumped to defend the shot. The All-Star guard will not return to the court until he goes through the NBA’s concussion protocol. There is currently no timetable for his return and this puts his status for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in some doubt.
The new concussion diagnosis came after “extensive examinations over the last two days,” the Warriors announced. The concussion protocol from the NBA requires a player to pass several exercise tests and be symptom free before he can return to any game action. The team’s physician makes the final call to let a player return, but he must consult with a league doctor before finalizing that decision.
Here’s the full statement from the Warriors.
Following extensive examinations over the last two days, including Neurological tests earlier this morning — Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson has been diagnosed with a concussion. He will not return to the court until he is symptom-free and cleared under the NBA’s concussion protocol guidelines. He will be evaluated daily, and there is no timetable for his return.
Thompson’s father went on record to say he had to drive Klay home after his son was vomiting and clearly woozy shortly after the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in game 5. Klay’s agent, Bill Duffy, even told USA Today’s Sam Amick that Klay doesn’t have a concussion. One thing that does work in the Dubs favor is that there is 6 more days until the NBA Finals start so with some rest, Thompson could ultimately be ready to go for Game 1 but there is a chance he could not be as well. It’s up in the air right now, along with knowing whether or not the team mis-diagnosed Klay’s concussion after the series clinching game.
