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Injury Update

Posted by JLin

Whatup all my faithful blog readers!!

Man... it's been an interesting time since the last time I blogged. Obviously the most relevant topic is the hamstring, so I'm going to devote this entry to the injury. When it first happened, I was pretty upset because I felt like we were turning a corner as a team in terms of figuring out how to play together. Bringing a new front office, with a new coaching staff, new medical/performance team and a ton of new players always means there will be growing pains. But I felt like right before the injury, our team was starting to figure some things out in terms of style of play, team identity and maximizing players' strengths.

 
So when I first got injured, I was pretty pissed. Sadly, when I get pissed, I comfort eat. So the night of the injury, I had candy and chips (with a side of Dota 2) for my post-game meal. The first couple weeks of my injury, I devoted to tracking our offensive possessions. I wanted to figure out which plays/sets were working the best and with which lineups. I also felt like the injury was an opportunity for me to really invest and serve my teammates in a different way... in a more humbling way... from the sidelines. It was difficult at times to watch, because everything inside me was burning to play. I found myself frustrated, discouraged and defeated at times.



Roughly 3 weeks into the injury was when I turned a corner mentally and spiritually. I realized all my worry and impatience was coming from a place of fear. Fear that things wouldn't work out the way I wanted them to, that I wouldn't be able to come back early from injury, that I was letting other people down and more. So I spent some time praying and reminding myself of some of God's promises -- that He has a perfect plan, He is 100% in control, I'm exactly where He wants me to be, His will will be done. This was a huge transition for me because I could feel myself trusting God more versus trying to control and micromanage every detail of my rehab process or the team's performance.



And from there, I got back to truly enjoying the process... even the process of rehab or cheering on my teammates. I got back to living in the moment and being thankful for God blessing me with my dream job. And for the most part, I kept that mindset all the way through to the end of my rehab.

Now I'm back on the court, and I know there will be more obstacles as I try to regain my rhythm but I'm excited just to play again! And the injury also taught me so much about the team. I learned how I can help push each of my teammates better based on their personality. I also learned what our team needs to improve in and developed a deeper understanding of the game relative to our system and personnel. Most importantly, I have a deeper appreciation for my health and the fact that I get to hoop for a living!
That's all I have for you guys. Thanks for reading and for all the prayers while I was hurt.