Why Blazers' Blake Wesley Felt Foot Injury 'Happened For a Reason'

It's been a little over a month since Blake Wesley returned to the court for the Portland Trail Blazers after a broken foot that held him out for three months.

Now that Wesley is back to playing with the Blazers, he is excited to be able to help his team in a different way than he was while supporting from the bench.

"When it first happened, I was like, 'Dang, this is crazy, can't believe this happened to me, but everything happened for a reason,'" Wesley said in a video interview with the team.

Blake Wesley Making Impact Despite Injury

This isn't the first time Wesley has dealt with a long-term injury throughout his career. Back in high school, he broke his wrist, and it significantly changed his trajectory towards becoming an NBA player. Luckily for him, he put in the hard work, and it all paid off in the end.

"I broke my wrist before my junior year, and that kind of set me back. I didn't know if I was gonna get any offers, and then I got in the gym, got back right," Wesley said.

"Boom, all of a sudden I got offers from a lot of D1 schools. I ended up choosing the right school, Notre Dame. I really enjoyed being there, just coaching-wise and the style of play. I was only 15 minutes away from my house, so it was special for me cuz my family got to come watch me play."

His play with the Fighting Irish led to him becoming a first-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2022 NBA Draft, where he was in for a rude awakening from legendary head coach Gregg Popovich.

"I was with San Antonio for three years. They drafted me at 19. Pop's like, 'If you want to play, you got to play defense.' After that, I start picking up full court. I start being a pest on defense. Start being everywhere, handsy," Wesley said.

Wesley's three years with the Spurs ultimately helped him land a second contract with the Blazers, and he has been able to find more playing time in Portland.

"I was nervous when I got here. I didn't know what to expect, but now that I'm here, I'm comfortable. I love where I stay. I feel like I found a home here. I'm big on the community," Wesley said.

"Yeah, I found my role: push the pace, play defense, get guys shots. I want to be that guy that comes off the bench and gives that energy, even when you know something like this is happening to me. It's always good to encourage people to help others. For me to be on this team, it helps me out a lot, and I love it."

Portland Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley shoots against the Chicago Bulls. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The guard's fit with the Blazers is smooth because acting head coach Tiago Splitter played for Popovich, like Wesley did. The language Popovich and Splitter use are similar and that is definitely helping the transition smooth out.

Wesley is a free agent at the end of the season. It's unfortunate that he has missed most of the year with his broken foot, but if he can contribute for the team in the last month or so, he could work towards another contract next season with the team.