De'Anthony Melton happy to be back with Warriors after feeling ‘the love' | NBC Sports Bay Area

Yeah, right back.

How would you kind of categorize where you're at right now in your knee rehab?

For me, I mean, right now I think it's just ramping up more and more on the court. It's getting comfortable with my knee. And I think medical staff does such a great job of just making sure I instill the confidence in myself and just, you know, ramping it up slowly. So just doing more and more individual workouts, more and more cutting, jumping, you know, and just working on finishing and stuff like that.

Are you eyeing any part of the calendar at all?

I'm leaving that up to them. You know, I trust them. I think they've been through this before. You know, they've been through this with other players. So I think trusting them and, you know, their process, their game plan, it's all I can do.

Bigger picture that, you know, they traded you last year. I was just wondering like, you know, how you felt about that. Did you have to get your mind wrapped around coming back?

And then why did you ultimately Nah, I mean, business is business at the end of the day. I mean, I probably would have traded myself too, you know what I mean? Especially given the way the season was at the time, you know, you needed someone, especially my contract, that can, you know, come in and play and help the team. So I felt no type of way. I understood, you know, having conversations with Mike and Steve beforehand. So I knew, kind of knew what was happening and stuff like that. And ultimately, I mean, it's so much love here and, you know, the medical staff, you know, they do such a great job on just my body and keeping me right. So I think those reasons and just the staff as a whole and the team and the short-lived, you know, time we had together, it was amazing. So I think coming back and just seeing what we can do and, you know, at the same time, and we got a, we got a Butler out of it too. So, you know, I'm just happy to be back for that too.

This offseason was a bit peculiar for the Warriors. How tough was it for you to be patient and ultimately make your decision? And did you have to weigh other opportunities while you were deciding?

I think it was just difficult to see them go through that roller coaster of a season. You know what I mean? Sitting on that couch is pretty much all I can do for the first month. So sitting there watching those games and just seeing them, you know, go through the struggles that they was going through. And knowing I could help and provide, it was tough. But other than that, I stayed confident, you know, I stayed confident that I knew they was eventually gonna figure it out and that, you know, my rehab process was gonna be good. And weighing my options, you know, I feel like it was a lot of love. So if a team wanted to pull me away from that and they had to show the same type of, you know, love and interest in me in the future. And I think that's all the things that Warriors have provided for me. And I think that's why to me it was a clear cut.

Does your familiarity with the team help you come back when it is time to come back? Cause if you miss a training camp, you're just, oh, you're just a step behind everybody, but you still know how things run here.

Nah, most definitely. I mean, looking around the locker room, you know, last, you know, today really just seemed like it's pretty much the same guys. Like, you know what I mean? Like it's the same dudes and they added a couple, But you know, always, you know, Kyle, Wiggs, seeing those guys leave was tough, you know, close with them. But you know, this locker room now I think is definitely is ready for the climb that we need and how they finished the end of the year and just seeing how I can implement myself in those types of situations. You know, it's pretty much what I was doing.

Is there going to be a sign that you look for, maybe feel during your rehab where you just going to show that you are back 100%? Is there going to be a moment you're looking for? Or is it just gradual?

I think it's just gonna be gradual. I think it's important that, you know, I take it step by step, day by day. That's all I can do, you know, given what I've gone through past couple years. That's all I can do is take it day by day and just see what the next day holds, see how my body holds, and, you know, just stay, stay positive with it. From afar, what'd you see out of this team after they added Jimmy Butler last season?

Man.

You just saw the spark come back. You know what I mean? You saw guys was up, they was ready, and you could just see how quickly he got acclimated with the team. I mean, as soon as he got there, they went on a run and they started, you know, beating well-quality teams and without any practice. So I think seeing stuff like that, it just motivated me. This, you know, this could definitely be something special. And I mean, even when they got to the playoffs, they was, you know, proving what they can do. And, you know, dudes might have been banged up or dudes wasn't all the way 100%, but they were still getting the job done. And I think that's the most important thing to look at. Now it's just, you know, health is the biggest thing for us and, you know, staying healthy. I think we're a dangerous team for sure. Hey, what's one part of your game you feel gets overlooked but is essential to winning basketball games? Man, I feel like, I feel like I'm very underrated when it comes to the hoop scene and everything like that. Just, you know, providing the extra leadership, the extra, it may be the extra rotation, you know, a talking here and there and also just, you know, playmaking, you know, I think people underrate the fact that I'm able to get other people involved. You know, if it's skipping it, swinging it one more, throwing lobs. I think that part of my game, you know, has kind of flew under the radar, but I think just keeping dudes, you know, warm, hot, and, you know, excited to play. I think that's important too, to keep their energy up.

Hey, you're not the first person or player, I mean, to mention that the Warriors training staff, there's something different here. In your experience, why are they, what sets them apart?

I think what sets them apart is, I mean, they care 1 through 20, like, you know what I mean? Whoever is in here, I think they care about their body and they take their time and they understand what needs to be done and the process that they need to go through. And I think they have confidence, they know what they're doing, they've been through it, you know, in years past they've had players that came here banged up with, you know, certain injuries, certain problems, You know, they've helped him to play. I think that's what everybody wants to do is pretty much play and at a high level. So they keep people on the court and they know how to keep people playing. And when they need to, they can draw people back. So I just think they medical staff in terms of they plan for everybody, I think is very detailed.

And how has it been for you mentally to go through an injury that will take about a year?

I think that was the biggest thing. For me that I realized like the mental aspect of it, you know, sitting there, feeling like you should do something but you can't, feeling like you want to do something but you're not supposed to. And I think all that stuff just, it played a factor. And I mean, for me, you know, basketball is an escape from everything that's going on. So not having that escape sometimes, you know, you got to deal with some stuff head on. And I think that's the tough part about it. Just not being able to go pick up a ball and get in the gym and stuff like that. And then when you get to rehab process, You realize you're not 100%. You realize your knee can't do certain stuff. So just dealing with that, it was tough. It was tough. And then especially as you get to move more, but I just try to look at the end of the tunnel, you know, it's, it's obviously gonna get better. It's obviously gonna happen and it can always be worse. People working every day, people sacrificing their lives every day. So, I mean, I feel like I can do this at least.

Jonathan Kamega went through some obviously pretty drawn out negotiations that impacted other business, including yourself. As he, When he reacclimates to the team this week, I'm just curious as a veteran, how you just view those dynamics as it comes back in.

I mean, that's my dog. I mean, I rock with JK a lot, you know what I mean? So haven't been able to talk to him about it, but you know, I mean, that's a conversation, you know, we'll eventually have and just get his mindset on it. But I mean, business is business, you know, sometimes you want to stand your ground. Sometimes you want to do certain things, you know, once money get involved. All you can do is respect it. All you can do is just, you know, worry about yourself and see what's going on in your life. So all that stuff, you know, you can have a conversation about later, but at this moment, I mean, just excited to see him get paid, you know, and just, just to stay healthy.

De'anthony, welcome back. In your mind, there's a lot of championship players on here on this team. What sets apart a championship player from guys trying to get to that level, obviously the ring, but what qualities do you see in the league?

I was about to say they did it. Like just the ability to work every day. Like I think looking at Dre and Steph, like the way they just, they still come to work, they still motivate others to come to work. They still put the time in to try to get better. And you know, they've done it 4 times already. So it's like to see them do that and to see them work every day and to listen to the staff and listen to the coaches and still get they work in, it's like, why can't you do it? You know what I mean? And just they desire to win and the details to win, I think is most important. Like they, they care about every aspect of the game and they try to understand every aspect of the game and understand that you need teammates and you need help and you need, you know, encouragement. You need all that stuff to be great and to be great as a team. How's your back doing? My back's feeling good. Yeah, my back's definitely feeling good. Being able to have that time off was, you know, it was important.