Category Archives: Basketball

All Blogs, Basketball, Knee

Zion Williamson Bruised Knee

Leave a comment

On July 5th, Zion Williamson, an American basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans, left a game against the Knicks during the 2019 NBA Summer League due to a bruised left knee. Williamson took a knee-to-knee hit in the first half of the game and was ruled out at halftime. He was seen on the bench in the second half of the game with a bag of ice around his knee. According to a press release, Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin announced that the decision to take Williamson out of the NBA Summer League was a precautionary move and William would continue to train and condition with the team.

“Zion will move forward from this incident without issues,” said Griffin. “However, in an abundance of caution, we have made the determination that he will not appear in game action for the remainder of the NBA Summer League. He will continue to take part in training and conditioning with our performance team.”

Though Williamson missed most of the NBA’s Summer League, he should be good to play by the start of the regular season.

All Blogs, Ankle/Foot, Basketball, pain

Lonzo Ball Ankle Sprain

Leave a comment
Courtesy of Mayo Clinic

Lonzo Ball, an American basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, returned  to the court on July 4, six months after being diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Ball sprained the ankle on January 19 in a game against the Houston Rockets. While Ball was originally expected to return before the end of the season, the Lakers decided to let Ball heal more completely and return over the Summer. It was the third time Ball had sprained his ankle injury during the season but he had not missed any time during the previous instances.

Achilles Rupture, Achilles/Patellar/Quadricep, All Blogs, Basketball, Tendon Rupture

Kevin Durant Achilles Rupture

Leave a comment

On June 10, Kevin Durant ruptured his right Achilles tendon during the second quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The injury came after Durant missing nine playoff games due to a strained calf on the same leg from May 8. He underwent surgery on June 12. Durant was cleared by the team’s medical staff to play Game 5. According to Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, the team did not believe it was putting Durant at risk for further injury.

Courtesy of Mayo Clinic

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. It is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. Blood flow through the tendon is poor, which may make the tendon susceptible to tearing and also slow its healing. Achilles tendon injuries often occur following an abrupt increase in activity or intensity, such as a return to competition after weeks of not playing in Durant’s case.

There is speculation that what was diagnosed as a calf strain on May 8 might actually have been Achilles tendinopathy. The Warriors organization has not yet released a timetable for Durant’s return to play. Generally, eight months is the quickest recovery time among NBA players after an Achilles rupture. Durant’s teammate DeMarcus Cousins also had an Achilles tendon rupture in January 2018. Cousins needed almost an entire year to recover enough to return to play.