{
  "id": 3697485,
  "title": "Draymond Green claims Klay Thompson’s 2019 kept him from leaving Warriors to become a first option",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/draymond-green-claims-klay-thompsons-2019-kept-him-from-leaving",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T07:42:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/draymond-green-claims-klay-thompson-074246091.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Draymond Green believes that Klay Thompson's traumatic Achilles injury during the 2019 NBA Finals prevented him from leaving the Warriors to become a first option elsewhere. Thompson suffered the devastating injury in Game 6 of the Finals against the Toronto Raptors, which directly contributed to the Warriors' failure to capture a third consecutive title. With the 2019 season marking Thompson's free agency, there were concerns that he might depart from Golden State. However, Green now asserts that the injury was the reason he would have remained with the team. On his podcast, Green detailed why he thinks Thompson was planning to leave the Warriors before his injury and debunked the notion that Thompson couldn't be the team's top player. Comparing Thompson to the legendary Reggie Miller, Green argued that if Thompson had left the Warriors, he too could have become a number one option. Green's claim highlights how Thompson's injury not only affected his own career but also altered the trajectory of the Warriors' championship aspirations.",
  "summary": "Draymond Green believes Klay Thompson tearing his Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals stopped him from leaving the Warriors. Thompson suffered a brutal Achilles tear in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, which played a big part in the Warriors losing their chance at a threepeat.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Klay Thompson officially signs with Miami",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/klay-thompson-officially-signs-with-miami",
        "published": "2026-08-24T00:22:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Klay Thompson Speaks on Joining Miami Heat With Giannis Antetokounmpo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/klay-thompson-speaks-on-joining-miami-heat-with-giannis-antetokounmpo",
        "published": "2026-08-26T00:08:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}