Jay Scrubb participated in his first official practice in over a year Thursday as he resumes his bid for a Celtics roster spot.
Scrubb, a 24-year-old guard out John A. Logan College, played for Boston’s Summer League team last year but tore his ACL during a preseason practice. After spending the 2023-24 season rehabbing, he re-signed with the Celtics on an Exhibit 10 tryout contract this week.
“It’s been a battle,” Scrubb said. “Had a tough injury, had to bounce back from it. But just trying to work hard to get back to where I was at. I have real confidence in last year that I could get back to where I was at and that’s just what it’s been just working, working every day, just trying to put it back together.”
Scrubb said he stayed in touch with the Celtics throughout his recovery and always hoped to rejoin the team once his knee healed. He recently reached that point, announcing Wednesday on Instagram that he’d been “fully cleared.”
“We’ve been in communication ever since I got injured,” he said. “So I pretty much knew this is where I wanted to be at, and I voiced it with them that I wanted to be here, and they took good care of me through my rehab process. So I felt like this would be the best place for me to come back.”
Drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020 (second round, 55th overall), Scrubb has appeared in 24 career NBA games. He spent most of the 2022-23 season with the Orlando Magic’s minor league affiliate, averaging 22.2 points per game.
Scrubb impressed with the Celtics’ 2023 Summer League outfit, scoring 14.4 points per game across five appearances while shooting 46.3% from the floor and 40.0% from 3-point range. Boston released undrafted rookie forward Tristan Enaruna to add him to its training camp roster.
“Every time you go through a rehab process, you always learn about yourself how tough you are mentally,” Scrubb said. “You know what I’m saying? I could have gave up. I could have quit. But … I wanted to get back out here with these guys. Seeing [the Celtics] win that championship, it motivated me. It gave me that extra push.”
Scrubb didn’t know whether he would play in any of the Celtics’ remaining preseason games, reiterating that Thursday was his first full practice since his injury. His most likely landing spot to open the season is Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine.
Boston hosts the 76ers and Raptors this Saturday and Sunday at TD Garden, then visits Toronto for its final preseason game next Tuesday.