Jonathan Yim’s Improbable Comeback After Car Accident

In the middle of the Portland Trail Blazers’ run in the NBA playoffs last season, player development coach Jonathan Yim was in a devastating car accident that left him hospitalized. Yim went through multiple surgeries for his injuries, but he was determined to rejoin the team, as Jamie Goldberg of The Oregonian writes:

The doctors told him he would be in a wheelchair for three months. He used a wheelchair for two weeks. They said he would need a cane for two months. He used one for a week.

Yim completed his goal of coming back before the 2018-19 season ended; after recovery, he was on the Blazers’ bench for Game 4 in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors:

“It never crossed my mind that I wasn’t going to be back,” Yim said.

Yim also accomplished his second goal after the accident: participate in a half Iron Man triathlon. He has continued to surpass expectations from everyone around him:

“What Jonathan has been able to do after that accident is remarkable,” Stotts said. “He’s determined. I think everyone thought he was pretty nuts to even consider doing half an Ironman. He powered through it. I was following him on the Ironman app and charting his progress.”

You can read more from Goldberg’s story here.