Knee injuries can be one of the toughest and most rigorous to overcome for basketball players, particularly big men.
James Wiseman, the Golden State Warriors No. 2 overall pick in 2020 NBA draft, is nearly over that hurdle, though after playing in the NBA's summer league.
Over 15 months removed from a regular season NBA game, the University of Memphis product is primed to return to the floor at the beginning of the 2022-23 regular season.
During an interview with NBC Sports, Wiseman spoke about the people who have been through similar experiences in with knee injuries and helped him get his health back on track. Those people were Klay Thompson and Shawn Livingston.
"I've talked to Klay a lot and I've talked to Shawn Livingston to work with Golden State," Wiseman said. "[Livingston] taught me a lot about his experience and he taught me a lot about the rehab process. Just like seeing that motivation."
Wiseman suffered a torn meniscus in 2021, forcing the rookie center to miss the remainder of the regular season. After undergoing surgery to repair the knee, he missed all of the 2021-22 season rehabbing the joint.
The Warriors' big man wasn't alone in the process, though as several people around the team had been down similar roads.
In the case of Livingston, a gruesome knee injury in February 2007 nearly ended the guard's career after landing awkwardly on his left leg. Through months of rehab and missing an entire NBA season — similar to Wiseman — he was back in full form.
As a fan favorite, Livingston became a three-time NBA champion with Golden State and even joined the team's front office as the team's Director of Player Affairs and Operations.
As for, Thompson sustained his injury on perhaps the biggest of stages, tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. During his rehab, he also suffered a torn Achilles, which kept his sidelined for another year.
Nonetheless, Thompson's drive and motivation allowed him to return to his championship-level form. Sliding back into his starting role, Thompson helped the Warriors win their fourth NBA title this season.
"Really anything is possible," Wiseman said of Thompson. "I'm very young and there's going to be a lot of outside noise to try to get to me. Really, I'm just locked in on the prize and I'm just trying to be the best version of myself."
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