Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram is trying to stay upbeat as he continues to recover from surgery.
The Los Angeles Lakers 2018-2019 season was a whirlwind for more reasons than one can count. Among the many reasons was because of season-ending surgery Brandon Ingram underwent.
The operation was inevitable after Ingram was dealt with shocking news in the early part of March. What is weird, though, is that what B.I. was initially experiencing never appeared to be anything serious.
During that portion of the Lakers’ season, Ingram was feeling soreness in right shoulder. On paper, that does not sound too serious. The young Laker did not think so at first, either, per the fact that he tried to battle through it.
Soon enough, the young man had to be sidelined by the team because he struggled to lift his arm parallel to his shoulder. Knowing that much information, though, still did not faze the wiry ballplayer.
Things did not reach a point of severity until the team doctors closely examined Ingram. It was then that Ingram’s condition raised some eyebrows.
No. 14 was eventually diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in that same arm. In simpler terms, the problem was a blood clot.
Words like that, especially upon someone as young as Ingram, just kind of gives someone a “wow” reaction. The type of reaction that suggests this is something way bigger than the game of basketball.
For Brandon’s sake, he was just relieved the clot was found in its juvenile stages. According to Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com, the third-year Laker recently shared his initial feelings on the diagnosis.
"“When I initially heard about it, I was kind of worried,” Ingram said at his end of season interview on Wednesday. “I heard people talk about the Chris Bosh thing. I think people around me kept me grounded, kept me smiling.“… I didn’t have anything related to Chris Bosh, really. I think his was a little bit worse. I think in my situation I’m happy that we caught it early. It was planned out to where I could be healthy a little bit earlier.”"
The point regarding Chris Bosh is impossible to not think of. The former All-Star dealt with a similar medical condition a few years back, leading to an earlier retirement than expected.
Thankfully the same will not be occurring with Ingram. As he indicated, it is key that the Lakers’ medical staff noticed the bug when they did. Otherwise, the issue could have escalated quickly.
As Kyle Goon of the OC Register reminds readers, B.I.’s condition could have been life-threatening if it went untreated. It was that scary when the blood clot was originally detected.
Thus, it led to the Lakers making a rapid decision on the 6-foot-9 baller. The former Duke product was going to miss the rest of the season due to needing thoracic outlet decompression surgery.
Fortunately, this operation is just what the doctor ordered for B.I. As Goon revealed, the goal is for Ingram to be ready to play once autumn is upon us.
The same report goes on to discuss what the recovery process has been like for the 21-year-old. Provided that Brandon is on blood thinners, he cannot do too much activity wise. While he is amid physical therapy, getting back into shape will require time.
Indeed, this has been the tough part for Ingram to realize. Because of this, he has been idle and Ramirez’ piece contains Ingram’s thoughts on having to rest a lot.
"“I’ve caught myself relaxing a little bit too much,” Ingram laughed. “Just laying around the house after surgery.”"
This has got to be a hard, hard thing when you live and breathe basketball. Brandon is widely known as one of the hardest workers on the team.
Thus, to basically have no choice but to take it easy is a new experience for him. One that is certainly not fun for him, but something that he knows deep down is necessary.
In a situation along these lines, it would be easy to sit back and complain. However, Ingram has taken some time away from hoops to reflect on life. Suffice to say, he has been granted with a much better outlook than he ever had before, per Ramirez.
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"“It’s given me a better perspective on life itself,” Ingram said. “Without basketball, I’d have no idea what to do. It just brings a little added motivation. Don’t take for granted things.”"
Granted the setback was awful, reading this can be viewed as a silver lining of sorts. It will not only cause the third-year Laker to become more determined but allow him to appreciate the gift of life. That is a beautiful realization if you ask me.
At the end of the day, it demonstrates that Brandon is doing what he can to maintain a positive perspective. That is mature move on his front.
In a perfect world, fans can only hope B.I. is able to make a full recovery over the next several months. Ingram has improved every year he has been in the league, and 2018-2019 was no exception.
In 52 appearances, he averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists a night for Los Angeles. He was particularly dominant after the All-Star break. During that small stretch before the discovery of DVT, he was netting nearly 28 points per game.
Former team president Magic Johnson recently spoke up about Brandon, noting his great potential. Via Goon’s piece, Magic believes he has the ability to be an All-Star caliber player.
"“Before Brandon Ingram got hurt, he was playing (unbelievable),” Johnson said. “He put together what, three weeks or two weeks – that’s the Brandon, I think if he can get to that level and stay there consistently next year, he’d be like an All-Star.”"
Hearing words like that are only going to help B.I. that much more as he continues to recuperate. It is positive fuel in every sense of the word.
Everyone in the basketball community (let alone in the Lakers’ family) will continue to cross their fingers for Brandon Ingram. It is simple to ask why this had to occur to him. That answer is unknown, but what is known is that this fall a stronger than ever version of B.I. will be present.