My name is Stephaun Branch and I just completed my 6th professional season. This season wasn’t like any other one I’ve experienced. I had my first major injury and had to have surgery for the first time. In November of 2022, I suffered a torn meniscus and had knee surgery to repair and clean it up. The doctors told me the recovery could take anywhere between 3 to 6 months. For me, hearing that I needed to have surgery and being told that my season was pretty much over before it even got started was heartbreaking. For those who don’t know, most overseas seasons have a cut off of signing players around Mid-March, so with a 3 to 6 month recovery window that could have been cutting it very close to be able to play again this season. It was hard to stay positive after coming to that realization…..
A lot of negative thoughts took over.
“Even if I’m able to play this season will a team even take a chance and sign a player fresh off of knee surgery?”
“Will I be able to contribute to a team?”
“Will playing this season do more harm than good for my career?”
“Will I be able to move the same?”
I had plenty of motivating factors such as my wife, my son, my mom, my dad, my siblings etc. But the one thought that has stuck with me through the whole rehab process was “What is adversity?”
What is adversity to the kid that didn’t make varsity until his senior year?
What is adversity to the kid who had no scholarships out of high school and grinded it out at a junior college?
What is adversity to a kid who went from junior college to a full scholarship at a division 2 in a state where I had no friends or family?
What is adversity to a kid who tried out for a
G-league team and not only made the team but also made an impact?
Adveristy to that kid is MOTIVATION, adversity to that kid is a sign of being on the right path.
My career has been full of a lot of ups and downs and it’s shown me how to not only be a better basketball player but also how to be a better man. When I sign to a team overseas, it’s not just glitz and glamour like most people think it is. It’s a grind, most times I don’t see my family for 10 months out of the year. I miss holidays, birthdays, and all types of experiences that I can’t get back in exchange for the dream. Im in a foreign country adopting their cultures and adjusting on the fly. The love of this game has shown me places I wouldn’t have other wise seen and I’m beyond grateful for the experiences and hope that I can pass on a lot of these experiences to my son.
So to whoever may be reading this, What does adversity mean to you?
- Stephaun Branch
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