On September 30th, James Wiseman couldn’t help but smile as he walked from the Saitama Super Arena to the team van. The Golden State Warriors center spent 18 months rehabilitating after suffering a meniscus tear. The in-depth details of his nerve-wracking experiences will engulf anyone.
After enduring a torn meniscus in his right knee while in a match against Huston Rockets in 2020, the 19-year-old James had to stay off the floor for the rest of the season. The 7 ft star had been preparing for that moment ever since his injury, and finally when the day arrived his joys knew no bounds.
Due to the fact that the #2 overall pick in 2020 required knee surgery, James was restricted to just engaging in activities that included his upper body.
With fighter spirit in his heart, the Warriors center spent the entire summer going to the gym and lifting, which rewarded him with robust muscles. He began to work on his lower body with basic knee extensions as soon as he was given the permission to do so with one ulterior motive, “regaining his mobility.”
Right after his injury, the NBA analysts made demeaning remarks, “the Warriors should have drafted LaMelo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick instead.”
Warriors HC Stephen Kerr realized how the negative comments impacted the then-teen James. To support the promising player in recovering from the mental stains, Kerr suggested withdrawing from Twitter for one and a half months. “We’re all vulnerable to that but especially [a] guy without much life experience, basketball experience.”
Following Kerr’s advice word to word, Wiseman discovered that the easier mean to deal with depression is to “verbalize feelings and emotions,” alongside attending therapies.
On Wiseman’s return to the league after 18 months, the player marked his words, “I know what I am capable of on the basketball court, but people need to give me time to grow.” Emerging with unshakeable determination, the Warriors hotshot said, “they put so much pressure on me to be this, to do that. … I need to be myself and not care what people say.”
