How Cavs’ Ty Jerome went from ‘very dark place’ to best sixth man in the NBA

Ty Jerome's first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers lasted 15 minutes of game action.

That's when he sustained a mysterious, debilitating ankle injury that didn't let him return the entire 2023-24 season.

"You're climbing an uphill battle," Jerome recently told Cleveland.com. "You're lost. You feel forgotten."

Jerome had yet to pan out as a first-round pick. He'd already bounced around Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Golden State.

He dominated in 2023 training camp, but never got a chance to show his continued improvements because of the near-immediate injury.

“I was in a very dark place,” Jerome told Cleveland.com. “I felt disconnected from the group. I felt alone. I was just kind of here by myself, going into the facility solely to rehab, and then back home to sit on the couch with no plan for how to get better and no real timeline for a return."

MORE: NBA's Thompson brothers, Amen and Ausar, have incredible relation and similarities

Jerome is most at home on the basketball court.

"I'm a hooper," he told Cleveland.com. "It's my only hobby. When I'm playing basketball, when I'm able to shoot and work out, I'm just a happier, healthier person."

Jerome is plenty happy and healthy now.

He's one of the most inspiring stories of this NBA season, back from the depths to be the top sixth man in the league by the measure of some.

MORE: Explaining the story of Bam Adebayo's real name

Jerome is an unconscionable long-range shooter from off the bench with an incredible floater package and great passing vision and distribution.

In just 19.9 minutes per game this season, Jerome is averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists with 1.1 steals added in. He's shot an unreal 43.9 percent from 3-point range.

This is the Jerome who led Virginia to the 2019 national title.

He's even reunited now with his UVA Cavaliers teammate DeAndre Hunter on these Cavs, the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.

MORE: Grizzlies center Zach Edey more than just NBA's height king

Cavs GM Koby Altman told Cleveland.com that he wanted Jerome with the 26th pick in 2019. But Jerome went at No. 24 to Philadelphia, who eventually moved him to Boston and then Phoenix in a couple of quick trades.

Jerome had a monster game against Cleveland when he played for Golden State, putting up a surprise 22 points and reminding the Cavs what he was capable of.

Last year, Jerome signed a two-year, $5 million contract to finally join the Cavaliers.

The Cavs took a long time to figure out what was wrong with Jerome's ankle, but eventually a surgery helped to repair it.

Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told Cleveland.com he never saw this level of play when he was a Warriors assistant coach.

“I saw none of this,” Atkinson said. “He has Steph-like minutes sometimes. He’s shooting 25-footers. He’s getting steals. He’s really taking over games. Irrational confidence."

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

So here he is, Ty Jerome, compared by his head coach to playing minutes like Steph Curry and in true contention for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

It's not long ago that a mysterious injury had Jerome in a "dark place."

Now, he's in the bright lights of the NBA Playoffs for a genuine championship contender.

It's been quite a journey, and given the way Jerome has persevered so far, don't count out the chance of him making his mark on this postseason, too.

MORE: 

• Knicks' best run of entire season, sparked by Cam Payne, spoils Pistons party
• Russell Westbrook quiets the haters with legendary playoff moment
• Bucks' Kyle Kuzma gets his playoff cardio in with literally no stats
• Pacers' Myles Turner steps back into clutch 3-point shooting to doom Bucks
• A savage NSFW answer from Russell Westbrook on his job with the Nuggets