Jaden Ivey has gratitude after return to Detroit Pistons from injury

admin-cdn3 hours ago

0 0 4 minutes read

Jaden Ivey has gratitude after return to Detroit Pistons from injury

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey on main emotion: ‘Gratitude’

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey said his main emotion is “gratitude” and that he thinks his injuries taught him patience on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.

MILWAUKEE — The biggest challenge of Jaden Ivey’s professional career thus far, finally, is behind him.

Eleven months after a broken leg ended his 2024-25 season after 30 games, Ivey made his long-awaited season debut against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Nov. 22, returning to a Detroit Pistons team that started its turnaround before he went down and has ascended to new heights in the time since.

On Jan. 1, the date of his injury, they were 15-18 but had won four of five. Their momentum continued with 29 more wins, en route to a 44-38 record and winning playoff games, plural, for the first time since 2008. This season, they’d won 11 games in a row, with Saturday’s 129-116 win putting them one shy of tying the franchise record.

At 14-2, they’re off to their best start in two decades and sit comfortably atop the Eastern Conference heading into a visit to Indianapolis to face the 2-14 Pacers on Monday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).

Ivey helped spark the team’s reversal in fortune last season, prior to the broken leg, and his spirits were high as he addressed the media Saturday night. He scored 10 points and dished out two assists in 15 minutes, a minutes restriction as he eases back into playing shape. He and the team are eager to work him back into the fold and have him add to the dominant start.

He was clear on his emotions after playing his first regular-season basketball game since January.

“I think just gratitude,” Ivey said. “Obviously just the last couple months, I think it’s been very humbling for me. It’s been good for me, this trial has been really good for me. The word for it is just grateful to be back playing, but just cherish the moment to be back out there tonight.

“This team is obviously doing something really special that we just gotta keep it rolling and hopefully can do something special that’s never been done before.”

Last season was a breakout campaign for Ivey before his injury, as he was averaging 17.6 points and four assists while shooting 46% overall and 40.9% from 3. The Pistons opened 11-17 before finding a groove during a Western Conference road swing, with four wins in five games marked by a crazy game-winning four-point play by Ivey against the Sacramento Kings. On Jan. 1, Ivey was cooking again against the Orlando Magic with a team-high 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting before getting hurt early in the fourth quarter.

Ivey was on pace to be ready for October’s opener this season but suffered a setback during preseason, undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Oct. 16 after dealing with discomfort. He was given a four-week re-evaluation date, and began on-court work last Friday to ramp up his rehab.

“My knee just felt not normal,” Ivey said. “Just things that progressed over time. I talked to my team and we made the decision to do surgery. But it was just appropriate for what the time was and it’s a lot shorter than my first surgical procedure. Definitely a trial that I needed to go through and it’s given me the patience, the perseverance to, everyone goes through trials in life.”

On Nov. 18, Ivey was assigned to the Motor City Cruise to get five-on-five scrimmage action in during practice, a sign that his return was eminent. His status was upgraded to “questionable” leading into Saturday’s game, and he was upgraded to “available” an hour before tip-off.

Ivey made his 2025-26 debut midway through the first quarter Saturday and he looked comfortable. His first score was a fastbreak layup at the end of the first quarter following a steal by Caris LeVert, and he knocked down a deep 3-pointer late in the second quarter during a 19-8 run that extended the Pistons’ lead to 19 entering halftime.

In the third quarter, an errant Bucks pass was batted away by Ivey for a steal. On the other end, he drove and found LeVert open from 3 to push the Pistons lead back to 21, 96-75, after a 17-6 Bucks run cut it to 16.

“We’re just happy to have him back,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s the most important thing. For him to have that joy and competition and competing with his teammates, that was the most important thing for him out there. Obviously you see the way that he can impact the game at a high level. Fifteen minutes is hard to catch a rhythm sometimes but I thought he did all the things we needed him to do. This was just more celebration of his journey to get back out on the court and we were happy to be a part of it.”

Saturday had several moments that revealed how Ivey’s game fits this team. The shotmaking was there, and so was the playmaking. His trademark speed is still intact, and his playmaking was relevant on a night the Pistons dished out 31 assists on 49 field goals.

Ivey gives them another playmaker, after Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, who can attract the eyes of the defense. Having multiple ball-handlers is how the game is played in today’s NBA, and Ivey, with his speed, gives them a dynamic they lacked.

Tobias Harris also returned from a nine-game absence Saturday following a high right ankle sprain, meaning the Pistons now have all of their core rotation players back. While there may be a feeling-out process as Ivey gets his legs back, Cunningham and the rest of the team are understandably eager to see how much more dangerous they can be with Ivey back in uniform.

“He looked good today,” Cunningham said. “I thought he looked really comfortable out there. Doesn’t look like he’s missed as much time as he has. It’s a credit to his work and how much time he’s put into it. We’re all just super-happy for him being back out there.”

[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify)]

Follow the Pistons all year long with the best reporting at freep.com/sports/pistons.

Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).