After spending most of the 2024-25 season sidelined due to offseason surgery on both of his feet, Jarred Vanderbilt finally made his return to the court in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win against the Golden State Warriors.
Vanderbilt’s rehab took longer than expected, but he was well worth the wait as he flew up and down the court and infused some much-needed energy on the team.
In his first game back, Vanderbilt was limited to 12 minutes but he made the most of his time by scrapping for rebounds and playing his brand of tenacious defense.
After the game, Vanderbilt admitted he was surprised how he was able to contribute so quickly, as seen on Spectrum SportsNet:
“A little bit. I knew I might be a little rusty coming in as far as rhythm and knowing the plays and all that stuff, so my main goal was to go out there and play hard, bring the energy, and then everything else, just control the controllables and everything else will play its hand.”
The forward hadn’t played in almost a year, but was happy he got real game reps as he works his way back into basketball shape:
“It was good. Like you said it’s hard to replicate that stuff. JJ was just messing around with me, like, going through the stuff over there, in his opinion I might been like a five out of ten. But the way I was able to turn it up today, it’s just hard to replicate those type of game reps, even with dress rehearsals and stuff like that. So it was good to finally get back out there and get some game reps.”
Lastly, Vanderbilt expressed how appreciative he was to play again and acknowledged how hard the journey was:
“It means everything. It’s been a long journey, a tough journey. It’s almost been a full calendar year since I was able to play the game again. So yeah, just taking everything, embracing it, the moment, and just being thankful. Thankful for the moment, thankful for everybody that was a part of it. My rehab process and, you know, the organization, everybody, just being patient. So yeah, it’s a big step in the right direction and I’m excited. It’s been a hell of a journey.”
With Vanderbilt back in the fold, Los Angeles can play different lineups and give opposing teams different looks that weren’t previously available. Once Vanderbilt is back up to speed, the Lakers could be a dangerous team down the stretch.
Austin Reaves was excited for Jarred Vanderbilt’s return
The Lakers sorely missed Jarred Vanderbilt’s presence on the floor and players like Austin Reaves noted how much they were looking forward to his return.
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