How Injuries, 'Love for the Game' Shaped James Blackmon Jr. 8 Years After Indiana Exit

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Much is right in James Blackmon Jr.'s world. He's back in Indiana, wearing a T-shirt in the Hoosiers' patented crimson, and surrounded by former teammates and mentors from his three seasons in Bloomington.

As he stares at the court inside Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, he smiles. Blackmon won't be suiting up for Assembly Ball, Indiana's alumni-based team that went one-and-done in The Basketball Tournament, but he no longer needs to play to be fulfilled.

Such is the journey of self-discovery Blackmon has undergone since leaving Indiana after his junior season in 2017. He's now 30 years old, thick-bearded and soft-spoken. And he knows much more about himself than he did eight years ago.

Blackmon spent his first year of professional basketball in the NBA G-League, first with the Delaware 87ers, the Philadelphia 76ers' aptly-named farmhand, and then with the Wisconsin Herd, the G-League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks.

But less than 14 minutes after signing his first NBA contract, Blackmon's stateside dreams ended. He signed with VL Pesaro in Milan, Italy, and embarked on a career overseas.

"I've always been someone that's always been thinking NBA from Day 1," Blackmon told Indiana Hoosiers On SI on July 17. "From Day 1, I always thought, 'That's where I'm going to be.' At first, having to go overseas was kind of tough. I didn't know what to expect.

"But having those experiences and seeing the high level of play that there is over there in certain situations, it just drove me to go higher."

Initially, Blackmon soared. In his first year in Italy, he averaged 20 points, 3.7 rebounds and two assists per game. The following year he changed teams and averaged 14 points per game while shooting 43.6% from 3-point range.

After two seasons in Italy, Blackmon went to Istanbul, Turkey. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while making 3.1 triples per game in 2020-21.

With his NBA development league experience and strong track record in various European series, Blackmon generated a substantial international market.

"I kind of just took off," Blackmon said.

But his proverbial flight landed much sooner than expected. His playing time decreased in 2021-22, and he suffered a knee injury that left him out of basketball for two years. The recovery process, he said, was tough -- in part because he was no stranger to it.

Blackmon had long battled physical pain, even dating back to Marion High School in northeastern Indiana. While at Indiana, he had two knee surgeries -- one to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee before his sophomore year, and another six months later to address a right knee injury that cost him the final two months of the season.

"Here at Indiana, I faced tough injuries, just because of the wear and tear we faced," Blackmon said. "It's a little different now -- we practiced four hours. (But) some tough injuries in college that kind of, my pro career, I had to manage my knees and things like that, and everything was good.

"But freak accidents happen."

Left without basketball, Blackmon found himself. He discovered more interests and began pondering life after basketball. He's thought about becoming a coach. He's learned new things to do to be successful off the court.

But Blackmon's basketball journey isn't over yet. Now back to full health, he signed a one-year contract to play in Belgium, where he hopes to reignite his professional career.

"I'm just blessed and thankful that I'm able to get back out there again," Blackmon said. "I think Belgium, it's a smaller league or team than I've ever had to sign to, but for me, I love just to play the game. I'm just trying to rebuild back to where I was."

At his best, the 6-foot-4, 201-pound Blackmon is a sharpshooter. He proved as much at Indiana, where he remains, statistically, one of the best shooters in program history.

Blackmon shot 41.5% from distance, the best career 3-point percentage of any player in Indiana history, while his 205 career triples rank fifth best -- and the most among non-four-year players. During his final college campaign in 2016-17, he made 91 3-pointers, which trails only Steve Alford's 107 triples in 1986-87.

He finished his career with 1,235 points, but his memories center around things that stat sheets can't quantify.

"The people I met, the relationships I formed and then still being able to come back and get that love, it's a great feeling," Blackmon said.

Blackmon didn't get to return to Bloomington too often during his first several seasons playing professionally, but he's been a more frequent visitor while rehabbing his knee injury.

For as much that is different -- be it the coaching staff, roster or newly renovated rooms inside Cook and Assembly Hall -- than it was in 2017, Blackmon still feels the same Bloomington magic.

"It's definitely changed a lot," Blackmon said. "(Some) things are the same. Like, the vibe is the same, the love is kind of the same. But definitely a little jealous of what they've got going on."

On the court, Blackmon's game remains the same -- he's shot 40.1% on 3-pointers and 88.3% on free throws across 105 games overseas -- but he's evolved mentally. He's become stronger in the mind, he said, from the pressure he puts on himself trying to play at the sport's highest level.

And while Blackmon's love for basketball has never wavered, the source of his motivation has shifted. His father, James Blackmon Sr., starred at Kentucky before playing in the NBA. As a kid, Blackmon Jr. heard stories about his father's skill and aspired to reach the same heights.

Now eight years into his professional career, Blackmon is driven more by his personal relationship with the sport.

"It's just the love for the game," Blackmon said. "Just having those experiences -- a lot of people don't get to get paid to do something that doesn't feel like a job. For me, it doesn't feel like a job or anything like that."

Job or not, Blackmon returns to work in Belgium later this year. Before heading overseas, he planned to join Assembly Ball for a deep run in The Basketball Tournament, a $1 million, winner-take-all event that requires six wins. But Assembly Ball lost in the first round Saturday, and Blackmon didn't play out of an abundance of knee-related caution.

But the opportunity to come back to Bloomington was as much about seeing family off the court as progressing on it.

During Assembly Ball's second practice, Blackmon worked out with Yogi Ferrell -- the two played together from 2014-16. Before the team's loss, Blackmon sat in the stands with former Indiana standout Christian Watford, who graduated two years before Blackmon arrived. Blackmon later moved to the end of Assembly Ball's bench, where he took a seat next to Ferrell.

Blackmon isn't the same person he was when he took the floor with Ferrell nearly a decade ago. He's more seasoned, wearing a suit of armor that's been dented by life. And yet, here's Blackmon, still smiling and enjoying the path of his basketball journey.

"I loved it -- my career, my situations overseas. Like, I'm blessed," Blackmon said. "I'm happy that I've gotten those experiences."

BAD NEWS FOR GOODE: Indiana men's basketball forward Luke Goode had his request for additional eligibility denied by the NCAA. CLICK HERE.

FERRELL BACK HOME WITH ASSEMBLY BALL: Entering his 10th professional season, former Indiana basketball star Yogi Ferrell remains driven by his father, Kevin Duane Ferrell Sr., who passed in 2024. CLICK HERE.

DURHAM DEBUTS WITH ASSEMBLY BALL: A member of Indiana men's basketball's 1,000-point club, Al Durham didn't get a proper Bloomington farewell in 2021. He's back to write a different ending. CLICK HERE.