Warriors’ Thompson finds new ways to make a splash

Klay Thompson has taken up swimming in chilly San Francisco Bay to mix things up as he endures yet another year-long rehab for his right Achilles tendon immediately after working back from a torn ACL in his left knee.

Truly a Splash Brother now.

“It was life changing!” he declared, “It was amazing. I was like, ‘I need to do this more often.’ ”

“I’m going to incorporate that into my routine now,” Thompson added. “Tim Duncan swam his whole career and he played for 21 years. These last few years have allowed me to look at things and re-evaluate how I train and how I diet, that’s for sure. As I’m getting older I’ve got to do all the little things.”

Thompson has ditched the walking boot and is driving again post-surgery. He can lift weights and ride the stationary bike.

And for his cerebral side, the Golden State star is finding some non-physical activities to become more well-rounded during the grind of this recovery process.

“Read books, play chess and watch a lot of movies,” he said, smiling while speaking candidly before watching the Warriors host Utah. “Before I got hurt I realized all my hobbies revolved around me being athletic. These last two years have taught me I need to get some more hobbies that bring out the creative side of me because the human body can turn on you, unfortunately. I love to play golf, I love to go biking, I love to go hiking, and I’m without that right now. I’ve got to do other things and be patient with myself.”

Trivia question

Thompson holds the record for most 3pointers is a regular-season game with 14. How many of the four other players who have hit at least 12 in a regular-season game can you name?

Pelicans get their shots

In a January interview, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that getting players vaccinated against the coronavirus was “something we’re particularly focused on” as the league headed into the heart of its season.

Now multiple players on at least one team have received the vaccine.

Dozens of eligible members of the New Orleans Pelicans organization were vaccinated Saturday, according to the team, thanks to a decision by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to expand the eligible pool to those who are 16 or older and have a health condition that places them at higher risk of disease.

One condition is having a body mass index more than 25, something that is true of many NBA players. Among the other conditions that now confer eligibility are asthma, hypertension and Type 1 diabetes. The Pelicans did not name players or say how many had been vaccinated, but Sindarius Thornwell, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 215 pounds, went public with his decision, tweeting, “I’m getting the vaccine shot tomorrow... ya boy kind of nervous.”

Other members of the organization also were vaccinated as the team worked with Ochsner Medical Center.

According to ESPN, the Dallas Mavericks are waiting for a go-ahead from the league to make plans for players and staff to be vaccinated.

Trivia answer

Splash Brother Stephen Curry has hit 12 and 13 in games. Zach LaVine (13), Donyell Marshall (12) and Kobe Bryant (12) also make the list.