The wrist damage that ended Jaylen Brown’s 2021 season lingered for years, the Celtics star revealed Friday evening.
Earlier than Boston’s 125-117 win over Toronto, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic famous how Brown has improved as a ball-handler along with his non-dominant left hand — an oft-discussed weak point earlier in his profession. Requested postgame about Rajakovic’s remark, Brown pointed to the damage he suffered in 2021 and shared new particulars about his restoration course of, which included a number of further procedures over the following years.
“I by no means checked out it as a weak point,” Brown mentioned. “I imply, I tore all my ligaments in my wrist in 2021, and I’ve had some procedures and stuff put up that, the place I’ve had a few unfastened our bodies, the place I’ve had some chips in my wrist during the last couple years. One 12 months was in that 2023 (Jap Convention finals) after we got here again down from that sequence 3-0 (earlier than shedding to Miami in Recreation 7). So I’ve had some points. I don’t normally inform the media or the world about it, however I’ve had some points with my left wrist. However I’ve at all times felt like my complete life, I’ve been in a position to get to my off hand. I’ve dunked on folks with my left hand. I’ve by no means had a problem. However when you’ve got accidents and issues like that, you undergo unhealthy stretches the place, most likely a few of these stuff you guys have seen.
“However I’ve been capable of finding some fashionable medication that’s helped me regain some mobility in my wrist. Generally I get up and I can really feel the climate in my wrist at instances. And at instances I get up, and it feels nice. So it’s simply a type of issues I simply obtained to navigate. However I’ve positively discovered some fashionable medication that’s helped improve the blood movement and the vary. However I’ve had some points, since 2021 with my wrist. However I prefer it when folks drive me to my left. I hope they hold doing it.”
Brown’s “fashionable medication” treatments included platelet-rich plasma injections, he mentioned. He described subsequent setbacks that induced his wrist to swell up for weeks and restricted his vary of movement.
“It’s taken place a bunch of instances all through the years,” Brown defined. “I’ve needed to take journeys to go get PRP pictures, several types of stem cell remedy on my wrist the place it’s serving to you regain mobility and issues like that. Generally you fall on it; that may trigger fragmentation or one thing and it swells up, so for 2 weeks or a month, you may’t actually transfer it or something like that.
“So what do you do? Do you miss video games? No, you don’t miss video games. You’ve obtained to determine it out. You’ve nonetheless obtained to maintain taking part in attempt to discover methods to be efficient. So even previously, after I’ve had points, I nonetheless obtained methods to be efficient. However proper now, it’s feeling superb. That might change. However I’ve labored on it loads. My well being standing is what I give attention to probably the most.”
Brown battled numerous accidents final season, most notably a partial meniscus tear in his knee that restricted him from mid-February by way of the playoffs. However he’s prevented these points up to now this season, lacking simply two of Boston’s first 34 video games (each attributable to sickness, in line with the crew) and producing at an All-NBA stage (29.7 factors, 6.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists per sport).
Requested why he selected to share these particulars a couple of five-year-old damage, Brown replied that he’d by no means been requested about them earlier than. The Tenth-year professional added, although, that he’s felt extra comfy letting his guard down this season.
“It’s the age of fact, 2026,” he mentioned. “The 12 months of the Horse is on its approach. It’s a 12 months the place fact will emerge, so I’ve been (Twitch) streaming, being extra clear. So he requested me a query, and I gave him a solution. At instances that may not have been the case, however that’s the reality.”
