Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray revealed to reporters that Klay Thompson was the first person to contact him after his ACL diagnosis.

On April 12, 2021, Murray suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and had surgery about a week later. He missed the 2021 NBA playoffs and then sat out the entire 2021-22 season and postseason.

Thompson understands the mental and physical toll of recovering from serious injuries, having experienced two of the worst sports injuries there are.

The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter tore his own ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season. Upon completing his rehab, he then suffered a torn Achilles just before the start of the 2020-21 season and missed that year as well.

All told, Klay Thompson went 941 days without taking the court. That's why his words of encouragement were so meaningful to Jamal Murray. Thompson never gave up, and he learned to endure the grind and the mental pain.

Murray said there were “a lot of guys” that reached out to him, so it's hard to single out a few. Others Murray did name were Victor Oladipo, who has now had three major knee surgeries in the past four years, and Danilo Gallinari, who missed this season with a torn ACL of his own.

With the support from others, Murray did make a full recovery, and his rehab has clearly paid off. Back in the 2020 NBA Bubble, Murray was spectacular in the playoffs, dropping 50 in two separate games against the Utah Jazz. He averaged 26.5/4.8/6.6 on excellent efficiency in that playoff run.

Now, in his first postseason since then, he is averaging very similar numbers, and the Nuggets are one win away from becoming NBA champions. In his return to basketball's biggest stage, Murray has solidified himself as an elite playoff performer capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone.