By Dionysis Aravantinos / info@eurohoops.net
Jayson Granger has arguably been one of the most unlucky players in Europe in the last few years. Back in 2018, the Uruguayan guard had been dealing with chronic pain in his ankle, which resulted in surgery. He missed the second half of the 2018-19 season and returned to the courts for the start of the 2019-20 season.
After a successful pre-season, Granger was set up for his season debut in the Spanish League with Baskonia. He was in the starting line-up, but ultimately played no more than two minutes. With 08:15 in the first quarter, Granger picked up his opponent half-court, while running back on defense. In the blink of an eye, he slipped and suffered a complete rupture of his left Achilles tendon.
Granger began his rehab after successful surgery in October and managed to return to action for the Spanish League tournament. Ultimately, he helped Baskonia win the 2020 ACB title. In the summer, Granger signed a one-year deal with ALBA Berlin and moved to Germany.
The 31-year old is back playing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague competition after almost two years, and he talked to Eurohoops about his new team, new challenges, as well as this year’s strange EuroLeague season. Besides, he shares what he felt during his Achilles injury, how he almost quit basketball twice, and the mental aspect of the game.
The EuroLeague season is back. How has this whole situation been for you so far, in terms of the coronavirus pandemic?
Jayson Granger: This situation is kind of weird for everybody. For us, we played a big game in Moscow against CSKA, it seemed as everything was rolling, and when we came back, we had six positive tests for coronavirus. We were stuck at home for 14 days without doing anything, and after that, you only have one practice and then have to face Barcelona. We lost by 30 and it seems like it’s the end of the world. It’s kind of hard to see what level we are right now, but our goal is to compete against everybody.
We’ve seen positive coronavirus tests in staff members and players, with many games getting postponed this season. Olimpia Milan’s head coach Ettore Messina recently said that the best way for the season to end is to put the European competitions on hold, finish the domestic leagues within the next 3-4 months and then start up again the European competitions. EuroLeague, however, doesn’t plan on making any sort of changes for this season. How should EuroLeague proceed in your opinion?
JG: Coach Ettore Messina has a point with what he said, but we also got to think about the rest of the teams. The teams that play in only one domestic competition. Who’s going to pay the rest of the contracts of the other players if the domestic leagues finish in March? Most of the guys have contracts until June. It’s weird. I don’t really have much of a voice on that matter. We all want to play. We don’t want to postpone games, but our number one priority is our health. We need to take care of the situation and follow the health protocols.
Besides the coronavirus pandemic, how different has this season been for you? After all, you changed teams in the summer and moved to Germany.
JG: It was a big change. After not playing almost all of last season with the Achilles injury, many people were doubting me, cause they weren’t sure of whether I can keep playing, practicing every single week at a high level. I don’t blame them, I respect them. I know how the business of basketball works. One of my main goals was to keep playing in the EuroLeague and ALBA gave me the chance. It was the perfect situation for me and my family to continue playing at the highest level, get my confidence back, and feel comfortable again on the basketball court. Playing for coach Aito [Reneses], for someone who teaches you so much about the game every single day… was a great choice for me.
Was there a particular reason you agreed on only a one-year deal?
JG: No, not really. One of my main goals was to get my confidence back. Trying to feel like a basketball player again. Trying to enjoy this beautiful game again. In the last few years, I couldn’t enjoy it. I want to take it day-by-day. In the beginning, of course, I felt a little bit rusty cause it’s been almost two seasons that I haven’t played back-to-back games. That’s a long time, especially when you come back from an Achilles injury and you’re a guard. A one-year deal was the perfect fit for me and my family. It was the first time they moved away from Spain.
What goals have you set as a team for this season?
JG: Aito is a kind of coach who sets daily goals. The one thing he always repeats is ‘let’s get better every single day.’ Doesn’t matter if it’s a practice or a game. We need to be better, and at the end of the season, we need to be better than we were on the first day of the pre-season.’ And I really respect that. It’s a great mentality. All the guys are working very hard to keep getting better. We all want to win.
Let’s talk a little bit about you. Over the past few years, you’ve suffered many injuries, including rupturing your Achilles tendon. First of all, can you describe what you felt the moment this happened?
JG: I felt like… I don’t really know how to describe it. The year before it happened, I had a surgery on my bone that was bothering me which was next to my Achilles and was out for five months. I was able to return for the playoffs and play pretty well. During the summer last year, I worked my ass off. I worked out every single day, in order to have a really good season, and the pre-season looked really well with coach Perasovic and Baskonia. And suddenly… you jump on the court, score a basket, and when you come back on defense, in the first 40 seconds, you feel a pop. I immediately knew. I was like ‘oh my gosh, why is this happening to me?’. Everybody was expecting me to have a great season…
For the first 15-20 minutes, I was kind of frustrated and desperate. In the next 30 minutes, I thought to myself ‘let’s get good and the bad. I’m about to have a baby in the next few months,’ so that gave me an extra boost to say I’m going to do this for me, I’m going to do this for my family and get back as soon as possible. I worked really hard to get back by the end of the season. When they said there’s a little chance for you to play in the ACB tournament, I said ‘I’m going to be there. Doesn’t matter what the doctors say, the GM, I need to be there.’
The doctors were telling me that I wasn’t even 60% to go out and play. I was asking them, ‘how likely is it for me to hurt my Achilles again?’ and they were saying ‘it’s not a big risk, but your body is not right, we shouldn’t take the chance.’ And I said that I needed to be there. Even if it was playing for one, five, or 60 seconds, I needed to be there with my teammates. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It was a good lesson for me, to know how to be patient, how to deal with different situations in life, and of course, to spend time with family. I was able to see my baby grow the first five months when in other situations I’d be traveling and practicing. And in the end, we won the ACB title. Couldn’t be better. It was the best gift. I was able to be there with my teammates, celebrate.
How was that whole process of rehabbing and getting back on the court?
JG: It’s a long rehabbing process. You got some good and bad things. Somedays you feel great, everything seems like it’s going perfect, while on other days, you take step-backs. I had the right people around me. I worked with professional therapists who really helped me. My wife was also there for me throughout this process. She helped me when I wasn’t feeling right. I’m really happy and proud of myself for the way I worked through my injuries. I was so many days out of the court, and I’m the exact opposite. I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t want to be on the sidelines. I don’t like to be handing out the towels, sitting out, etc., but I learned. I studied the game a lot and right now I’m healthy and happy.
Did you at any point say ‘this is it, I’m quitting, I’m giving up?’
JG: Oh yeah, definitely. It happened two times. Especially in the first surgery, I had in 2018. … I was dealing with pain for about a year and a half. It’s so hard when you wake up in the morning and just feel pain. And the pain doesn’t go away. You take painkillers, you try a thousand new treatments and the pain is still there. I kept fighting, but one day I was like ‘man… it ain’t worth it. I can’t do this anymore. I need to stop.’
But like I told you, the right people were around me. That’s when I started working with a therapist. I’ve been working with her for three years now, and that’s when I realized that mental health is really important. The way we train our bodies, we need to train our minds. People think that if you go to a psychologist, you’re crazy. Nah. Not at all. If you’re an elite athlete, you need to have your mind clear. You’re dealing with a lot of pressure and people don’t know what you’re going through. You might have injuries, you might have family problems, you might be dealing with whatever else. This was the key for me to keep pushing.
The second time I thought of quitting, was the second I ruptured my Achilles. I was in the locker-room for 15 minutes by myself saying ‘man, I can’t do this’. But then, I kept thinking to myself ‘hold on a second Jay. You really love this game.’ And I really do love this game. I love this game more than you can imagine. And like Kobe Bryant said ‘control what you can control.’ And after that, I was like ‘f*ck this, I gotta keep going.’ I really want my baby to see me play. I gotta do that for my family. Basketball stole almost two years of my career, but I believe in karma, and basketball will give me some good moments also. Basketball gave me back the ACB trophy, health, and being able to compete again. I’m a fighter, I’m never going to give up. That’s what I’m doing right now.
How do you feel now, in terms of getting your body right and healthy?
JG: I feel like a 12-year old kid. You can’t imagine. I’m smiling every day, going to practice, working in the gym. Coaches are great, teammates are great. The city is really nice. It really makes me wake up in the morning and say ‘wow, I’m going to play basketball.’ It’s been so long. I’m feeling better every single day. Try to get at my best level, and I’m 100% sure that I’m going to get there. Hard work always pays off. I’m busting my ass every single day to reach that level.
If you had to put a percentage on how ready you are right now, what would that percentage be?
JG: Health-wise, I’m 100%. But, of course, I got to work on other aspects of my game. I don’t have the same speed or jumping ability I had two years ago. Basketball-wise I feel like the game is coming back to me. I’m putting in the work and hopefully, we can see this in the next games. I’m really glad to be here, play in the best European basketball competition and I’m 100% sure that I’ll be the good basketball player that I was before.
Let me ask you this then. What goes through your mind every time you step on the court? What are your goals for the rest of your career?
JG: One of my old coaches when I was in Malaga, Joan Plaza used to tell me ‘have fun.’ And I remember that every single day right now. Every time I step on the court, even when I feel tired or feel like my body isn’t right, I try to have fun. Try to go out there, and have fun with my teammates. As for my goals, I want to be better every single day. I’m 31 years old and I feel like I got a lot of room to improve. I have a great coach by my side.
Aito is a great person, a great mentor in teaching me about the sport. That man knows so much about the game of basketball. It’s something unbelievable. The way he treats a guy who’s 17 and a guy who’s 30 is amazing. And this makes me love the game even more. Maybe in the past, I lost the love for the game a little bit because of all the things that happened to me, but right now I got it back. I see the sunshine and I’m really enjoying it.
Do you think about life after retirement?
JG: Of course, all the time. Especially after my injury, one of the first things that came to my mind is that I need a plan b. And I got a family to feed. I’m in a good position right now, but yeah, of course, I’m always thinking of what’s to come after basketball. I’m planning stuff with my wife. We got so many things on our heads. Hopefully, I can retire in 7-10 years. Like I told you basketball took two years away from me, I got to take these back. I’m sure the basketball gods will give them to me.