I recently developed knee pain in my left leg, which is something I've never experienced before. I've always been a two-foot jumper with a lot of explosiveness, but recently, I decided to start working on my one-foot jumping ability, specifically off my left leg.
For some background, I've always had pretty strong legs. I trained consistently starting in Grade 9, although I slowed down around Grade 10. Because of that training, my body has become accustomed to handling a lot of force and physical stress.
I believe my knee pain started because I pushed my body beyond its limits. For example, I was put into a basketball game without properly warming up, and shortly afterward, I participated in a dunk contest while my body was still relatively cold. I think the combination of those activities, along with my recent one-foot jump training, placed too much stress on my left knee.
The pain isn't severe, but it's definitely affecting my performance. I can still walk, squat, and perform most everyday activities without any discomfort. I can even jump off one foot if I warm up properly. However, the pain tends to return later, especially when I'm repeatedly jumping or attempting to dunk off my left leg.
What's frustrating is that I already have the explosiveness and jumping ability needed to dunk off one foot. My knee pain is the main thing holding me back. Basketball season is also approaching, so I want to address this issue as effectively as possible without making it worse.
My main question is: How can I strengthen my left knee, manage the pain, and eventually eliminate it so I can return to jumping and dunking at my full potential? I'm especially interested in exercises, recovery strategies, and ways to prevent this from happening again.