On Friday, the Golden State Warriors improved to a league-best 17-2 after securing their sixth consecutive win with a 118-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Yet, the cheers at Chase Center continued to roar long after the final seconds ticked off the clock in San Francisco. After the game, injured guard Klay Thompson appeared to stay on the bench as the arena began to clear out.

Before leaving, fans in attendance chanted Thompson’s name. The five-time All-Star embraced his fans, nodding his head as Dub Nation continued to cheer.

Via @957thegame on Twitter:

“THOMPSON THOMPSON THOMPSON!” 🗣🗣

The crowd while Klay stayed on the bench after the game pic.twitter.com/ZKFpFHFh8v

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 27, 2021

Via @ThompsonScribe on Twitter:

Klay Thompson has not left the Warriors' bench. The remaining fans are chanting THOMP-SON! THOMP-SON! And he was just soaking it in, nodding his head to the chants

— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) November 27, 2021

Via @anthonyVslater on Twitter:

It’s now been about 20 minutes since the game ended and Klay Thompson is still on the bench with a towel over his head pic.twitter.com/5bvnXjQgCO

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 27, 2021

Thompson has missed every game this year, along with the last two seasons with ACL and Achilles injuries. However, Thompson seems to be nearing his highly anticipated return to the court. The 31-year-old guard recently returned to full practices with his Golden State teammates. Thompson could reportedly make his return to the rotation around the week of the Christmas holiday.

The applause for Thompson from the fans at Chase Center on Friday looks like a preview of the special ovation he could receive when he finally makes his long-awaited return to the court.