PORTLAND, Ore. — "I miss the game like crazy."
Basketball is never too far away for Portland Trail Blazers forward Rodney Hood.
"At home, I'm always dribbling a basketball, I'm always watching basketball. I'm very motivated to get back out there on the court."
Hood suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on December 6.
"I feel great. The spot that I'm in, I just past 4 months post surgery, so I'm moving along well," said Hood in a virtual press conference. "I'm jumping a little bit in the pool, moving around a little bit, so I'm getting there. Now it's working myself up to being weight-bearing where I can do more explosive things. I'm moving along fine, just trying to be patient with it."
Hood is able to rehab at the Trail Blazers practice facility three times per week. He's working with the team's physical therapist Logan Sullivan.
"I want to continue to set small goals for myself. I want to shoot to be on the court by mid-June to end of June, so I'm able to work out," said Hood.
He is hoping to be ready to play by the start of training camp in September. He shot down the idea of returning for the end of this season, if there is one.
"Really make sure I get back right and not rush myself back. For right now, I just need to take my time," he said.
For Hood, it's all about the small victories and appreciating the little things.
"First was getting out of the cast, then out of the boot, walking without a limp or hitch when I walk, learning to curl my toes. Those challenges are very fun to me. It's something we laugh about and it's boring when you're fully healthy, but when you forget how to walk at times and it's tougher, it becomes fun and it's a challenge. I'm excited about every boring detail of it."
Hood says he is walking normally.
Center Jusuf Nurkic has been there for him in tough times and an inspirational force towards recovery.
"I lean on Nurk a lot. I remember when I did get hurt, my wife forced me to go out to eat and I saw Nurk. He was just telling me to lean on him and he would help me through anything I needed to go through and he's been great," said Hood. "To watch him persevere, for him to get his body back in shape, return to play, the work he put in, coming in early, it's just been a real motivation to watch. I'm going to continue to lean on him as I get closer to that time."
Hood has a second-year option on his current contract with the Trail Blazers and plans to be with the team in the future.
"I will be in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform as far as the contract and all that type of stuff will work itself out when the time comes, but I fully expect to be in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform next year."
Despite the injury and coronavirus pandemic, Hood is finding the positives in his situation. One bright spot has been his family and the quality time he's been able to spend with his wife and three kids.
"That's been the silver lining in my rehab being able to be with them and watch them grow. Sometimes it can be strenuous because he's four and my twins about to enter the terrible two's next week, so they've been running me crazy, but it's been fun to watch them grow, get smarter and our relationship is growing every day."
Hood is soaking it all in.
"Learning a lot about myself, learning a lot about my family and learning about the world in general because we're all going through this," said Hood.
"I'm a big nature guy, I'm from Mississippi, taking for granted just going outside and smelling the air. Enjoy being human. A lot of times we're in our jobs and we go day to day, we like a routine, we sometimes become robots. Now is the time you can reflect on how far you came and how far you gotta go. Reflect on the times you have with your loved ones and just make sure you appreciate those times because they can be taken away from you and life is not promised forever. That's the biggest thing that I've learned, that I enjoy and that I take from this pandemic is being able to appreciate every little thing that goes on."
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