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OAKLAND – For 19 grueling days, Klay Thompson was forced to watch the Warriors from the sidelines.

He binge-watched Showtime’s “Shameless” and played chess. But it was his bulldog, Rocco, that kept him sane.

“It’s just a healthy reminder of the simple things in life,” Thompson said. “It’s an outlet.”

Every day, the NBA superstar and his dog would go on long walks. It gave Thompson an opportunity to recalibrate and shift his perspective.

“I like to enjoy nature,” Thompson said. “So does he. It’s just fun to take your dog to the park. It’s one of the most simple but most fun things to do.” Want Warriors news in your inbox? Sign up for the free DubsDaily newsletter.

After Thompson sustained a fractured right thumb in a game against Minnesota on March 11, he was forced to miss eight games. Before that injury, Thompson had played in 530 of a possible 543 games over his seven-season career.

It’s no surprise that Thompson turned to his dog in what was his longest stretch away from the court over his professional career.

Thompson’s love for Rocco runs deep, so deep that on his 28th birthday he wanted to celebrate at home with his dog instead of partying. The Warriors even gifted him a cake in the form of Rocco’s likeness.

Of course, Klay Thompson’s birthday cake is of Rocco pic.twitter.com/7tNWpxiaSe — Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 9, 2018

Nothing could come between his love for his dog, not even his future wife. When asked what he’d do if he found a woman whom he wanted to marry but she didn’t like dogs, Thompson was stumped.

“I don’t know if she’d be out,” Thompson said.

Thompson adopted Rocco in 2011 when he was two months old. He was 21 at the time and had just been selected by the Warriors as the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft. Living alone in Oakland, he decided he needed some companionship.

Of course, Klay Thompson’s birthday cake is of Rocco pic.twitter.com/7tNWpxiaSe — Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 9, 2018

Since then, Rocco has helped Thompson through a lot of ups and downs. NBA players are always under a microscope, criticized, picked apart. But Rocco couldn’t care less about Thompson’s shooting percentage.

“We’re very performance-based and it’s a high-pressure job,” Thompson said. “Obviously we get compensated very well. But it’s still got its rigors that people don’t know about. Having a dog can do wonders that you don’t even realize.”

When Thompson seems stressed during a game, his brother, Mychel, often texts him videos of Rocco doing something silly, such as chewing a ball, kicking up dirt or chasing pigeons. It’s a reset button of sorts for him.

“That always brings joy,” Thompson said.

Thompson is known as a quiet guy who keeps to himself. But Rocco has the 6-foot-7, 215-pound Thompson wrapped around his paw.

Rocco is supposed to sleep in his kennel, but often times at night he’ll jump onto Thompson’s bed. Thompson never says anything, except when Rocco tries to share his pillow.

His devotion to his dog has inspired his business endeavors. In early March, Thompson released a limited-edition Rocco shoe by Anta, which features Rocco’s face under the strap.

Thompson even says that Rocco has made him a better basketball player.

“I do dribbling drills with that dude, and he will tighten up your handles,” Thompson said. “So, yes, he makes me better.”

According to Thompson’s father, Mychal, a two-time NBA champion with the Showtime Lakers, Rocco has been one of the biggest stabilizing forces in his son’s life.

“He’s been his escape,” Mychal said. “His therapy session to get him away from the pressure of basketball.”

All things considered, it’s no wonder that after Thompson sustained the thumb injury, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He pointed to the fact that Thompson would finally get some much-needed rest — along with another benefit.

“He and Rocco are about to get even closer,” Kerr said.

Throughout the season, Kerr has likened Thompson to a machine. He’s reliable, dependable, efficient and low-maintenance.

But Rocco brings out another side of him.

“I don’t have a child,” Thompson said. “That’s probably the closest thing to it.”

For Thompson, a dog provides something no one else could. Something that he can deeply relate to.