Maxwell Lewis’ Nets debut on Jan. 1 didn’t last long or go well, as he was carried off the floor after just one minute with a fractured left tibia.
It took six weeks and a grueling rehab to earn Wednesday’s encore.
Lewis was finally active again in the Nets’ finale before the All-Star break, logging a 27-second cameo near the end of a 100-96 win over Philadelphia at Barclays Center.
“I’m just blessed and glad it’s over,” Lewis said. “Now, I get to at least start what I was starting when it first happened on Jan. 1, just getting back to playing and my routine. It’s great. I’m blessed to be back.”
The Lakers had thought enough of Lewis — a 6-fooot-7 forward — in 2023 to pay the Pacers $4 million to move up seven spots and get him in the second round of the draft. He made 34 appearances as a rookie and was largely consigned to the G League this season, but Nets general manager Sean Marks wanted the young wing in the Dorian Finney-Smith deal, taking a flier.
Lewis arrived Dec. 29, but a minute into his New Year’s Day debut, right after hitting a 3-pointer, Lewis went down clutching the back of his left knee.
“When you get hurt in that type of platform, you try to not show the people and the fans what’s really going on. You try to just walk it off. But it was really hard. I thought it was something in the ligament. After getting the MRI, it wasn’t as bad as we thought,” Lewis said. “Everyone saw me as a first-time impression, all emotional. I didn’t really like that. But they saw me and they know I wanted to really play and be here with the team. They know I really care.”
Lewis missed 20 games over the next six weeks before returning to practice last week and playing vs. the 76ers.
“I’ve never seen nobody come [back] from a broken leg in a month but shout-out to Max Lew. I know he’s glad to be back, and glad to see him back. He’s gonna be good after this break,” Trendon Watford said.
“It’s great,” said Jalen Wilson. “We all can see it every day, the work he’s been putting in. He’s been in super early, staying late, working, doing rehab, weights, hitting the gym. It’s hard, and we all see it. We’re all just super proud.”
Lewis is in the second season of a four-year, $7 million deal. But the latter two seasons are team options, with just $100,000 guaranteed on next year’s $2.2 million salary. He’s looking to make an impression and stick around.
“I love Brooklyn. The food and the people, it’s just more [real] here than LA, in my opinion. I just like the weather. New scenery, new everything. It’s just great for me,” Lewis said. “So it’s all working out.”
