James Wiseman on getting injured as a rookie: "I was crying so hard I couldn't even get to my mom's apartment"

James Wiseman had a tough rookie season due to a combination of injuries, COVID-19 and inconsistencies. Wiseman played just 39 games in his first year before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee. He went on to miss the entire 2021-22 NBA season because of the injury.

In an interview with Katie Heindl of Uproxx, Wiseman opened up about his injury and the slow recovery process he had to endure. He admitted that it was tough at first, even crying a lot of times. He had to rely on his mother, who was there to support him from start to finish.

"When I first got injured, I was crying so hard I couldn't even get to my mom’s apartment," Wiseman said. "My mom had to carry me to her apartment. I was just crushed. Having a lot of nights where I was crying a lot, like a lot of times where I had thoughts like I wish this happened differently."

It was a tough road to recovery for James Wiseman. Eight months after his initial surgery in April last year, Wiseman had to undergo a second surgery on his knee. He was then ruled out for the rest of the season as the Golden State Warriors won the championship.

Despite sitting out for more than a year, Wiseman told Uproxx that he learned a lot by just sitting on the bench. The physical recovery was easier than the mental side of it. Watching players such as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the playoffs inspired him to come back stronger.

"The one thing about sitting out is you can observe everything," Wiseman said. "In the playoffs, you see how locked in guys are. So it taught me how to be more of a professional when I come back into it."

To read James Wiseman's entire interview with Uproxx, click here.

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James Wiseman off to a great start despite limited minutes

James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors.

James Wiseman has played in all six games for the Golden State Warriors this season. Wiseman is averaging 9.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 14.9 minutes. The Warriors are still being cautious before giving more minutes to the 21-year-old big man.

Wiseman's best game of the season came against the Sacramento Kings last week. He had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists, while shooting 71.4% from the field.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had nothing but praise for Wiseman in an interview with Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Kerr observed that Wiseman is much better than he was two years ago. The coach was also happy that Wiseman knew the role he would play this season.

"He's been much better this year than he was two years ago, and he should be," Kerr said. "He's had a summer league, he's had a training camp, he's working every day and he's healthy. He's starting to feel a little more comfortable with his role."

Wiseman is behind Kevon Looney in the Warriors' rotation. However, the departure of several role players in the summer puts more responsibility on Wiseman's shoulders.