A day when I was nervous for myself, the team, and the fans. Lee Woo-seok (24, 196.2 cm) was told that he did not need surgery. He was fortunate in misfortune.
On the 16th, Lee Woo-seok injured his right ankle in the 2022-2023 SKT Adot Pro Basketball regular league away game against Daegu Korea Gas Corporation. 메이저사이트 Immediately after his injury, he directly told an official at Hyundai Mobis in Ulsan, “There was a popping sound,” and serious injury was also a concern.
Lee Woo-seok was diagnosed with a partial tear in the ligament during a detailed diagnosis. Fortunately, it was an injury that could be recovered through rehabilitation alone, and it is expected that it will take six weeks for him to return. If rehabilitation goes as planned, he could come back in the playoffs.
Prior to participating in the 2020 rookie draft, Lee Woo-seok had the experience of going to the operating table after injuring ligaments and bones in his left ankle. In the aftermath of this, even if he was nominated in the draft, his appearance was uncertain until the beginning and middle of the 2020-2021 season. Nevertheless, Hyundai Mobis highly evaluated the potential and nominated Lee Woo-seok as the third overall.
Lee Woo-seok said, “I feel vivid when I get hurt in college. Looking at the video of his injury this time, his ankle didn’t break much. He was like that even in college. The painful part and the popping sound were the same as then. So he immediately sent a sign saying no,” he said.
Lee Woo-seok continued, “At that time, two ligaments were torn and the skeleton was widened by more than 2 mm, so I had to have surgery right away. This time, he was nervous until the diagnosis came out. He wasn’t lying, he thought it was surgery. Because I felt the same way back then… . He added that he only ruptured the ligament, so he thought he was very fortunate.”
Lee Woo-seok, who started this season with the goal of participating in all of his debut games, contributed to Hyundai Mobis’ run at the top as expected. He averaged 12.1 points, 1.2 3-pointers, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games, including averaging double-digit points per round. Except for assists, he is higher than last season when he won the Rookie of the Year award.
It is fortunate that he avoided surgery, but it must be regrettable that he finished the regular season. However, Lee Woo-seok took comfort in the fact that he was able to participate in the playoffs, and vowed to engage in rehabilitation with a positive mind. Director Jo Dong-hyun also joked to ease Lee Woo-seok’s mind, saying, “I’m glad I didn’t have surgery. He encouraged me, saying, “I hope you don’t put your mind down and work hard on rehabilitation.”
Lee Woo-seok said, “Before the start, I told the coach that I would play in all games without injury. Unfortunately, he has a chance to play in the playoffs. He seems to be motivated to rehab. Even while resting, I will do weight training for other parts and return to the same body as before the season, with a new body.”
Then, what will Lee Woo-seok’s rehabilitation schedule look like? Regarding this, Lee Woo-seok said, “It’s not too much swelling, so I’m looking at it positively. He said after 3 or 4 days he might be able to speed up his rehab by starting on his feet if he is pain free. A re-examination was also scheduled for the 28th. Once he’s out of the cast, he’ll likely begin rehab wearing the brace Stephen Curry (Golden State) wore. He said, “I plan to rest well until the ligaments attach first,” he said.