Throughout his illustrious basketball career, Joe Ingles has claimed that he doesn’t particularly enjoy speaking with the media. It’s always why he has some variation of “what now” and “I’m done talking” upon arriving and leaving media sessions.
Also throughout his career, Ingles has been known as one of the most enjoyable people to be around. His constant smile and self-deprecating sense of humor leaves anybody who comes into contact with him grinning and chuckling.
More than anything, Ingles is a straight shooter, both on and off the court. From his dead-eye accuracy from three-point territory and the way he always tells it, everyone has come to expect and appreciate the honesty that Ingles lives with every day.
So after a week of rumors and gossip regarding his future, Ingles is done listening and wants to set the record straight.
“I’m very confident. … I have zero doubt I’ll be able to come back better than what I was before,” Ingles said on Friday. “My game and the way I play, I’m not going to lie, I’ve never relied on athleticism. I’ve been able to be successful by being who I am and the way I play.”
Joe Ingles was examined Monday by the Utah Jazz medical staff and the MRI revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee with no other structural damage. Ingles will remain out indefinitely with surgery taking place in the coming weeks.https://t.co/lwAX3J8KUw
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 31, 2022
Ingles, 34, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered on Sunday at Minnesota. On a drive to the hoop during the second quarter, Ingles planted on his left leg, and for some unknown reason, his knee buckled and the leg gave out underneath him. He laid on the ground for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room.
“Tears in his eyes,” Mike Conley said Sunday night of seeing Ingles at the half. “Just knowing how much this means for him, this game means to them and what we mean to him, you know, so it’s tough.”
The runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year last season, Ingles, has been an integral part of the Jazz since he arrived in 2014, making him the second longest-tenured member of the current roster behind Rudy Gobert.
He’s developed into one of the league’s premier three-point shooters throughout his time, knocking down 40.8% of his shots from beyond the arc. He’s averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 assists per game, primarily serving as the team’s secondary ball-handler and facilitator.
More than just what he does on the court, Ingles is just as beneficial to the Jazz in the locker room. His veteran leadership and overall mentality have helped Utah thrive as one of the top teams in the league the past couple of seasons.
“It’s not even about the basketball at this point,” Rudy Gay said. “Just having him in the locker room is good for us. … That’s our guy.”
| “Joe knows how much we wanted to win for him.” #WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/GahlCh8jiT
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 3, 2022
This is the first time Ingles has suffered a severe injury since he was 15 years old when he broke his foot. Apart from dealing with health and safety protocols this past month, Ingles has never been out of the rotation for an extended period of time. His versatility on the court led to him playing in 384 straight games at one point.
Because of his visibility and high level of play throughout his career, the injury has sent fans into a frenzy. From believing that he’ll never play again to wanting to have a moment of silence for him before a game, seeing social media and the reaction has been a surprisingly pleasant distraction from what lies ahead.
“Some guy tweeted at me like can we have a moment of silence? That’s crazy to me. … I get the age part of it and the injury, it’s silly and I laugh a lot,” Ingles said while laughing. “For one article, a news company in Australia, it was like ‘his career is hanging by a thread.’ … It’s actually torn, there’s no thread.”
Before the surgery takes place in the coming weeks, Ingles is focusing primarily on three things; pre-rehab, getting his “team” in place and being a dad.
On Monday, Ingles was back at Utah’s practice facility going through pre-rehabilitation before surgery. With the help of Erik Phillips, Director of Performance, Ingles has begun exercises for his knee before surgery, an aspect he didn’t know he had to do.
He also believes that his best chance at success and returning to the game he loves will be aided by having the “best people” around him. From Renae to Phillips and everyone in between, Ingles knows that this process will be long and tedious, so having those to help with the mental and physical aspects will be vital.
“I got home and I mean, you guys don’t Renae too well, but like the positivity. … She was like ‘It’s not a point of you coming back, you’re going to come back better’,” Ingles said. “I’ve got a pretty awesome group of people around me. … Like I’m pretty lucky.”
With his basketball career currently on a temporary hold, one thing that will not wait is Ingles’ duties as a husband and father.
Barely over 12 hours after he lay on the court in Minnesota, he was dressed and trying to squeeze his leg into the car so he could drive his daughter to school that day. Once at school, he hobbled up to the doors before saying bye and making the return trip home.
It’s moments like that where Ingles believes he’ll be able to overcome the mental fatigue that’s sure to set in. Being a good husband by helping Renae out when he can and being there for his kids will always remain his top priority and help him deal with the monotony of rehab for the next nine months.
“I thought there was no way I can take her to school. … But she wants me to take her so I got to figure it out,” Ingles said. “My kids, Renae, they’re obviously going to play a huge part in this. I’m sure there’s going to be some heavy ups and downs but I’ll have the right people around me.”
Regardless of what the next 6-12 months entail, Ingles fully believes he’ll not only retake the court as a player but also come back stronger and ideally decide about his career and future following the “2024 gold medal ceremony” in Paris.
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