Klay: 1st dunk in return was among 'best moments of my life'

It had been 941 days since Klay Thompson played in an NBA game - a 30-month span that began with him tearing an ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals and included the monumental setback of tearing his right Achilles tendon in November 2020.

But when he finally made his long-awaited return against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 9, 2022, the five-time All-Star didn't just quickly rediscover his footing, he brought the Golden State Warriors faithful to their feet as well with one jaw-dropping highlight.

"This honestly might have been the best feeling of my career - to come back after two major injuries and still dunk on a couple cats first game back? I mean, that's honestly one of the best moments of my life," Thompson recently told NBA Top Shot while rewatching the sequence.

The 32-year-old would finish with 17 points in 20 minutes, complementing his interior assault with a trio of 3-pointers. However, his final stats were seemingly a minor footnote compared to the love he received from the home crowd.

"I thought about the fans every day during rehab," Thompson added. "I thought I about that first game back. I thought about the ovations, I thought about the introductions, I thought about it all.

"If you can get the crowd on your feet like that, that's the best feeling as an athlete. It was just such a special moment."