NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. has been dealing with a left ankle injury over the past few days prior to beginning his first season in the NBA. Brooklyn is less than one week away from playing in their first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets and Brown has been trying to stay engage while rehabbing his ankle injury.
"It's been great. It was just a blessing just to be back on the court and back moving a little bit, I'm starting to get back into my routine," Brown said after training camp practice on Thursday. Brown is one of the players that the team will be keeping its eyes on as he works to get healthy and learn the NBA game while not being able to participate in the contact portions of camp at the moment.
"But,
as far as training camp goes, I'm enjoying the energy. A lot of smiles and a lot of competitiveness, which I love and I love to watch as well," Brown continued. "Just really soaking up all the information from the coaching staff and what we've been installing and then also just talking to the vets as well because they've been through it. So, this process has been amazing."
Brown, 20, was taken by the Nets with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft with the goal of him potentially being the point guard of the future for the franchise. Despite dealing with a back issue during his freshman season at the University of Louisville, Brown showed enough during the pre-draft process to convince Brooklyn that he was the player for them.
Seeing how Brown has remained engaged with the team despite not being able to take the floor during camp is one example of how his intangibles are showing regardless of the adversity. Brown wasn't sure if he would be able to play when the Nets face the Hornets on Tuesday, but he made it clear that he is an active participant in camp and is doing whatever he needs to do to get back on the court.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Mikel Brown Jr. discusses ankle injury; training camp progress
