The Warriors playing into June seems like just another rite of spring. But when Klay Thompson takes the court for his sixth NBA Final, this one will feel different than the five that came before — and not just because he predicted it.

It’s because of the long, painful road the Warriors star had to take to get to Game 1 on Thursday against the Celtics at Chase Center in San Francisco. It was one paved with ACL and Achilles tears, after which he appreciates the journey even more.

“I think I’m definitely more reflective now, because, I mean, it can be taken away from you like that, one missed step or one bad jump,” Thompson said. “You know, back in the day, [it] just felt like work more. Just kind of programmed you to feel more robotic and just do your daily routines.

“But now I just try to find joy in every routine I do, whether that’s the drive to the arena, being on the training table. It’s such an awesome job to be an NBA player. I knew that before, but going through surgeries and rehab, putting a jersey on hits so much harder than it did back in the day.”

It was taken away from Thompson, at least temporarily. And he had to earn it back through surgeries and sweat equity.

The Warriors were on the verge of a rare three-peat in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Raptors when they first lost Kevin Durant to a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 1, and then lost Thompson to a torn left ACL during Game 6.

That injury cost Thompson the entire 2019-20 campaign. Then, he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in November 2020, knocking him out for the rest of the 2020-21 and the beginning of this past season.

As Thompson spent the stretch run of the 2020-21 season rehabbing, Golden State found its footing in a 15-5 finish. It gave Stephen Curry sparks of hope the Warriors could jump back into contention once Thompson returned.

“It’s just a confidence in who we are, knowing Klay was coming back. But I got a lot of juice from that last 20 games last year. We had a crazy up-and-down year just trying to stay afloat, and then got to a point where we found our rotation,” Curry said. “That was the gas in the tank for the whole summer for the start of this year.”

That start, without Thompson, was an NBA-best 18-2, with the league’s leading defense.

It was impressive enough that just five weeks into the season — more than six weeks shy of his Jan. 9 return to the floor — Thompson proclaimed NBA title or bust.

“I made that observation because we started 18-2. That’s an incredible start, and I wasn’t even in the lineup yet. We weren’t even whole,” Thompson said. “I envisioned us as all the pieces in the puzzle together, and I thought we could attain greatness.

“So to be back for a sixth time, it’s incredible. It’s even incredible just saying that. … I’m just going to enjoy every second of this and play as hard as I can, and you can walk away with no regrets.”

Thompson averaged 20.4 points this season and 19.8 so far in the playoffs to lead his Warriors just four wins from their fourth title. But after everything they’ve gone through, from his injuries to those of Curry and Draymond Green, this one will feel different.

“Just the context of the last four years,” Curry said. “From Game 6 of the 2019 Finals to now, everything we went through as a team. Certain guys individually with injuries. Obviously the pandemic that’s happened over the last 2 ½ years. Everything that we all went through with this as the ultimate goal of getting back on this stage, the chance to play for another championship. Klay coming off of unreal rehab journey, broke my hand, Draymond was injured.

“So all that stuff is just built into the context of what’s happened since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, and we’re back here. So it’s pretty special.”