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- After tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Warriors star Klay Thompson won’t be able to return to the court for months.
- As he recovers, Thompson has turned to one of his favorite hobbies to help pass the time – video games.
- In an interview with Business Insider, Thompson talked about his appreciation for "Call of Duty," his favorite "Rock Band" tracks, and his favorite teammate to squad up with online.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson’s NBA season ended in dramatic fashion when he tore his ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a catastrophic injury that brought an end to the Warriors’ hopes for a third consecutive NBA Championship and left many wondering if the team will be able to sustain its dynasty run.
The injury will keep Thompson off the court for the majority of the 2019-20 NBA season, and he’ll be unable to participate in any athletic activity for months. In the meantime, Thompson is passing the time with some of his favorite video games, and more specifically, "Call of Duty."
Thompson was one of several professional athletes invited to try the upcoming "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" before its October release. In an interview with Business Insider, Thompson said he prefers the movement and realism of "Call of Duty" over other popular shooting games like "Fortnite."
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare"/Activision
While the new "Modern Warfare" is a reboot of the 2007 classic "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," Thompson said he was impressed by the way the game has evolved. He said he still plays "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" online, though that game was originally released in 2009. Apparently, there’s still a small but dedicated cult following.
Thompson said he typically sticks to the standard Team Deathmatch mode, but each new "Call of Duty" introduces new weapons, new maps, and new wrinkles to the game. The Warriors star said he’s probably more accurate on the court than with a controller, but it’s more important to be familiar with the game.
Activision
"Some guys are so good, you just come around the corner and boom, you’re dead," Thompson said. "I used to be one of those guys. You know it’s K-Y-M, know your maps."
Thompson said gaming is a major past-time when the Warriors are traveling, and he often reaches out to other players to squad up before hopping online. He said his favorite squadmate to team up with was Damian Jones. Jones was traded from the Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks on July 8, but Thompson said there’s still a chance for them to connect through "Call of Duty."
Gene Sweeney Jr./Stringer/Getty Images
Thompson is also a fan of sports games like "Madden," "FIFA" and "NBA 2K," but he said he can only enjoy those games when he’s playing against someone. He said that being able to trash talk the opponent is an essential part of the competition, and it’s not the same if there’s no one sitting next to you.
Overall, Thompson said he plays games much less than he did during his teenage years when he had less responsibility. During college he was a big fan of "Rock Band," and enjoyed playing reggae tracks from artists like Bob Marley.
The ACL injury will keep Thompson sidelined for months, but he’s set his own limits on how much he plays video games in the interim. Though he says he could probably play all day, he doesn’t want to get burnt out on one of his favorite hobbies.
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Source: Business Insider – kwebb@businessinsider.com (Kevin Webb)