— Breaking his left ankle and having his career put in jeopardy has given New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. a new perspective on life and football.

Speaking to reporters here for the first time since getting hurt in a game in early October Danny Amendola Jersey , Beckham on Saturday was thankful to be back on the field and seemingly more relaxed and more mature.

The 25-year-old said he was not worrying about upcoming contract talks, even though he admits he is taking a calculated risk being in training camp coming off an injury and in the final year of his rookie contract.

“I literally watched my world turn upside down,” said Beckham, whose ankle snapped in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 8. “I watched relationships close to me devour and things go wrong, and things go sideways. It was a lot of pain that I went through the last 10 months.

“So, just kind of taking it day by day and trying my best to just make my mindset every day that I wake up I am going to be happy,” the three-time Pro Bowler said. “I am going to do this right. I am going to do the very best that I can in whatever it is, whatever it is I am doing. I changed my mindset and it has helped me a lot in everything.”

The 10-month rehabilitation was not only tough, Beckham also had to deal with reports that the Giants were considering trading him and the never-ending social media tweets and video about his life off the field.

Beckham called the trade talk rumor and noise that he has now learned to ignore.

“I remember I used to say all the time: ‘Don’t take it personal’ and stuff, but I still took things personal and I really have gotten that out of my heart to not take anything personal,” he said. “And with doing that, it’s left things that I used to worry about out of the equation. So, once you can really put that in your heart, don’t take it personal and you can feel that Tom Savage Jersey , it’s a completely different story.”

Beckham’s agent Zeke Sandhu was at the Giants’ workout Thursday and was seen speaking to assistant general manager Kevin Abrams for almost two hours on the patio overlooking the field.

Beckham had said he wants to be the highest paid receiver in the game and that has not changed. However, he said he is leaving the contract talks in the hands of his agent and when something happens, it happens. He added if a deal isn’t completed before the start of the season, he would cross that bridge at that time.

“I’m confident it’ll all work itself out,” Beckham said, who is scheduled to make $8.5 million this season. “Life always does.”

Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers is considered the highest paid receiver, earning an average $17 million on a four-year deal.

For now, being back on the field is fun. He is enjoying working with coach Pat Shurmur and said the new offense gives him the opportunity to line up in a lot of different spots.

“I love football,” Beckham said. “Football was always an (release) for me, it was always how I could get everything out, and just being able to be back out on the field like I said, I remember waking up 4 (o’clock) in the morning and crawling upstairs to my bed and laughing to myself, like this is going to be a hell of a ride for you to get back to where you’re at.

“And now I’m here, and there’s still a lot more for me to do. It’s truly Evan Engram Jersey , I’m just thankful; that God is able to put me back out there,” he said.

Since being drafted in the first round in 2014, Beckham has played 47 games and has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns.

The 25-year-old Beckham says his rehabilitation was long and painful. He says there were nights he had to crawl up three flights of stairs to get to his bedroom. The three-time Pro Bowler says he has made significant strides in the past two months is still not 100 percent.
The NBA playoffs that start this weekend already have an extremely tough act to follow.

The regular season ended with a flourish.

Wednesday’s final night of the regular season was well beyond dramatic – an overtime game between Minnesota and Denver to decide the last berth, another overtime game between Miami and Toronto to determine some East fates, a 46-point first quarter by Philadelphia , an absurd 20-rebound, 19-assist night from Russell Westbrook.

And now, the best time of the NBA year is finally here.

The playoffs are back, with Golden State and Cleveland – who’ve met in the last three NBA Finals – not exactly looking like the overwhelming favorites the league has come to expect. A fourth straight Warriors-Cavs matchup is no guarantee. A fourth straight trip by either of those teams alone is far from certain, either.

It all starts Saturday, the 16-team tournament that will be a two-month grind following the six-month grind of the regular season.

”I feel pretty ready,” Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said. ”We’re ready to go.”

So are 15 other teams.

Start with the East pairings: Lowry and the top-seeded Raptors play No. 8 Washington, No. 2 Boston faces No. 7 Milwaukee Drew Bledsoe Jersey , No. 3 Philadelphia gets No. 6 Miami and No. 4 Cleveland – with LeBron James bidding for an eighth consecutive appearance in The Finals – opening against No. 5 Indiana, a surprise team at the start of the season and one that isn’t a surprise anymore.

”We’re one of 16 teams that have a chance to win a championship,” James said. ”That’s all you can ask for.”

Philadelphia, after years of the rebuilding saga known as ”The Process,” has a chance as well. The 76ers are going into the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak.

”Take a deep breath, then reload,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said, talking about what he wants his team to do before getting ready for Game 1.

Out West, it’s No. 1 Houston meeting No. 8 Minnesota – which earned its berth by topping Denver in the NBA’s first win-and-get-in, lose-and-go-home regular-season finale in 21 years. No. 2 Golden State opens its quest for a third championship in four seasons against No. 7 San Antonio, No. 3 Portland drew No. 6 New Orleans and No. 4 Oklahoma City opens against No. 5 Utah.

”The playoffs are about moments, and you just want a chance to have those moments,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said.

For the Timberwolves, Wednesday was a moment in itself. They needed overtime to beat the Nuggets and get into the postseason. It’s Minnesota’s first berth since 2004 Tyus Bowser Jersey , and ended what was the NBA’s longest playoff drought (which now is bequeathed to the Sacramento Kings, who last played a playoff game in 2006).

”They just made the plays at the end,” Denver’s Will Barton said of the Timberwolves. ”Give them credit.”

There are some rematches from the 2017 playoffs already waiting. Cleveland swept Indiana in the first round last year, and Boston needed seven games to oust Washington in a thrilling East semifinal series.

But the most intriguing should be the Golden State-San Antonio matchup – because once again, just like a year ago, the Spurs will almost certainly be without Leonard.

Those two teams played in the West finals last season, and the Spurs were up by 23 points when Leonard left in the third quarter after getting injured on a play where he tried a jumper and Warriors center Zaza Pachulia closed out aggressively. Leonard got hurt when he stepped on Pachulia on the landing; he and the Spurs haven’t been the same since.

Leonard never returned to that series, and played in only nine games for the Spurs this season.

”There is no pressure on us,” Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge said.

There is on Golden State.

The Warriors are trying for a third title in four seasons, and will play this first round more than likely without Curry while he continues recovering from a knee injury. Golden State went 7-10 in its final 17 games, and clearly sputtered across the finish line.

But the records all reset now, and the Warriors have been waiting to get the postseason started.

”It’ll be our first meaningful game in about a month,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”Looking forward to that.”

With good reason. There’s a trophy to go chase now.

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