Last year, Brandon Ingram's season was cut short due to a serious blood clot issue that forced him to be away from the game he loves so dearly.

The 6-foot-7 New Orleans Pelicans forward opened up about how this major hurdle shook him to his core. He even had very serious doubts about making a full recovery:

“I had times where I didn't feel like my arm was going to get stronger,” Ingram says, via Bleacher Report's Mirin Fader. “It was just extremely weak. I didn't know if I was going to get back to a full recovery.”

“I had doubts,” he continues. “I've never been through something like this.”

Ingram's close friend and barber, Andrew Lopez, who himself was a firsthand witness to what his buddy had to go through, shared how difficult it was for Ingram to cope with the unfortunate situation:

“He kind of even said that was just him getting his feet wet,” says Lopez. “Passing time while recovering from surgery last summer was also a new experience. He didn't want to go outside because he didn't feel like he deserved to have fun, because he wasn't working the way he usually was.”

Fortunately, Ingram was able to make a full recovery, and he has currently been playing the best basketball of his career with the Pelicans this season. On Wednesday, they are set to face off against Ingram's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.