The name Festus Ezeli was once very familiar to Warriors fans. He played for the Warriors for three years and helped the team win the 2015 championship. In the 2015-16 season, he also contributed a lot to the team’s 73 wins record.
But after a knee injury in the 2016 offseason, he drifted away from the NBA and disappeared for several years. Now, 31-year-old Ezeli has resumed training and is ready to come back, hoping to be favored by NBA teams.
In an interview, Ezeli also frankly revealed that because of his repeated knee injuries at the time, he underwent surgery, and was cut by the pioneers, this time he was devastated and fell into a severe depression.
Six months after the operation, he could only walk in a wheelchair, and he needed help in using the toilet. “Depression is a light-hearted term. Before that, I never realized how important mental health is. But if you can’t take care of yourself for half a year, people will definitely become depressed.”
Ezeli often shed tears when he was in pain, but in the end he did not give up his passion for basketball. Even if the injury consumes his peak career, he knows that if he doesn’t try again, he will regret it.
“My goal is to return to the NBA. No matter how much effort I put in, I am willing. I don’t like regretting, so I will go all out.”
He now updates his training diary on Instagram every day, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr also encourages him: “I admire his passion for life and his desire to play. I believe he can realize his dream.”
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