Nathan Baird

Journal & Courier

It began like any other box out, with Robbie Hummel fighting for position under the basket.

Hummel’s Olimpia Milano faced Italian league rival Capo d’Orlando in that mid-December game. The former Purdue star lowered his shoulder to clear out his opponent. The opponent lowered his shoulder as well, and in the ensuing collision, pushed Hummel’s shoulder up.

“I knew it wasn’t good,” said Hummel, averaging 9.2 points and 5 rebounds at the time.

Hummel didn’t yet know he’d torn the labrum in his left shoulder. His season was over, and he had successful surgery in New York on Jan. 5.

Before that frustrating news arrived, Hummel had another offer on the table.

“Coach (Matt) Painter texted me couple days after I got hurt and told me, ‘I hope you don’t have to have surgery, but if do, we’d love to have you back here,’ ” Hummel said. “’You can rehab at Purdue and help the team.’

“I thought that was pretty cool because if it wasn’t for that, I’d be sitting at home doing nothing.”

Which is why Hummel, his left arm cradled in a black sling, stood on the court talking to Basil Smotherman before Monday’s win at Rutgers. It was the Valparaiso native’s first road trip with Purdue since he graduated in 2012, but it won’t be the last.

Hummel is volunteering his time as an adviser of sorts for the Boilermaker players. He’s living with Painter, waiting to begin more intense rehabilitation and making himself available to players for advice.

“I think it’s good to have an experienced guy, a guy that’s played overseas, a guy who’s played in the NBA, who was a really good college player, around for your players,” Painter said. “He’s really just being a mentor to those guys.”

Hummel met all of the players over the summer except freshman Caleb Swanigan, who was playing with USA Basketball. Hummel returned to play informal games the same way David Teague, Kenny Lowe, Carl Landry and others did when he was a Boilermaker.

Isaac Haas didn’t grow up in the Midwest when Hummel was a central figure in the last five of Purdue’s six straight NCAA tournament berths. However, the Alabama native knows Hummel’s legacy, and he’s trying to absorb as much as he can.

Haas said he and Jacquil Taylor pried NBA stories and advice from Hummel at Tuesday night’s training table meal.

“There’s almost nobody in his shadow,” Haas said. “I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great guy, he knows what he’s doing and he’s got a great personality. I like being around him.”

Hummel said in October that he wanted to one day return to the NBA. Now, he’s working just to get back onto the court.

Rehab is currently more monotonous than strenuous. Three times a day, Hummel squeezes 10 reps with a stress ball. He does bicep curls with no weight and works on range of motion with his left arm.

Hummel is scheduled to get out of the sling on Jan. 28. From there he progresses to weight training, and he can return to basketball activities sometime in April.

Hummel has a one-year deal with Olimpia Milano. He’s certain he’ll play next season, he just doesn’t know where. Down the road, he may put his business degree to use, but broadcasting and coaching have also intrigued him.

He’ll get a close look at that latter option in the coming months.

“This is a good kind of internship for me to see what it’s about,” Hummel said.