Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell says he is fully recovered from a calf injury and ready to start the 2026-2027 NBA season. The 24-year-old player missed the conclusion of the previous postseason after sustaining the injury during the Western Conference finals.
Media Day Confirmation Follows Grueling Rehabilitation
Speaking at the league’s media day on Monday, Mitchell confirmed his physical readiness following a grueling rehabilitation process. His previous season ended prematurely during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, a series Oklahoma City ultimately lost.
“Mon mollet va bien. Je suis prêt à démarrer et je suis enthousiaste,” Mitchell stated during the league’s media day, translated by team reports as confirming his calf feels well and he is ready and excited to begin. “C’est toujours dur d’être écarté du parquet, surtout à cause d’une blessure,” he added, noting the difficulty of watching from the sidelines.
Targeting Durability Across an 82-Game Schedule
Entering his third professional campaign, the guard won an NBA championship during his rookie season with the Thunder.
“Pendant toute la période où j’ai été absent, je me suis demandé : ‘que puis-je faire pour rester en bonne santé et revenir sur le terrain ?’ C’était ma priorité,” Mitchell explained regarding his recovery mindset. “J’ai travaillé ma condition en m’assurant d’être prêt à tenir toute l’année. J’ai vraiment hâte d’y être.”
Individual Goals Set Ahead of October 20 Tipoff
The regular season officially tips off on October 20.
“Il n’y a pas de limite. Je veux continuer à m’améliorer,” Mitchell said regarding his ceiling in the league. “Je pense que je suis encore loin de ce que je veux faire, donc pour moi, il s’agit de me concentrer, de travailler et de voir ce que je peux faire pour aider cette équipe à gagner. Ce sera ainsi tout au long de ma carrière.”
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