There aren’t too many athletes who have never suffered a sports injury. Some of the most common sports injuries are shin splints, hamstring and ankle sprains, groin bulls, knee injuries, and tennis elbow. Fortunately, thanks to advancements in sports medicine and physical therapy, many of these injuries can be corrected in a relatively short time. There are plenty of athletic injuries, however, that look so gruesome, people often expect these athletes to never return to their former selves — but it can be done.
Basketball might not be as dangerous as Football, but there are plenty of horrific injuries that have occurred on the court over the years. In 2014, NBA 5-time All-Star Paul George suffered a horrific leg injury during a scrimmage for Team USA. In 2013, Louisville guard Kevin Ware suffered an open fracture to his right leg in a game against Duke, protruding several inches out of his shin. Both injuries looked absolutely terrible and there were rumors that both players would never play again. George hasn’t skipped a beat and is one of the best two-way players in the sport and Ware returned to playing college ball and is now a professional basketball player for the London Lighting of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL).
The worst sports injury of this young NBA season fell upon Brooklyn Nets shooting guard, 24-year-old Caris LeVert. In a mid-November road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeVert attempted to block a shot. He came down hard on his right foot and his ankle appeared to nearly twist off his leg. LeVert looked at his leg and immediately placed his hands on his forehead, writhing in pain. He was carried off the court on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
Immediately, though NBA stars from around the league announced their support for the young player, rumors filled Twitter with doubts that LeVert might not play ever again.
Thankfully, those rumors were quickly shot down.
According to ESPN, LeVert was diagnosed with a subtalar dislocation of his right foot and will not need surgery.
“Fortunately, tests performed this morning revealed that there are no fractures and only moderate ligament damage,” said Dr. Martin O’Malley, Nets team orthopedist. “While the optics of this injury may have appeared to be more severe, survey will not be required.
LeVert, who will now work with medical professionals and physical therapists to get his leg back to full strength, voiced his excitement on Twitter:
“I just want to thank God above all things [because] despite how bad the injury looked, it could’ve been a lot worse. Thanks to all for the prayers, messages, love, and support for both my family [and] me. We appreciate you all! Can’t wait to get back out there with my brothers!”
Sports injuries happen all the time, but they are rarely the end of the story for athletes. Only 35% of physical therapy patients fully adhere to their recovery plans, but professional athletes have the skills, resources, and — usually — determination to overcome all kinds of injuries. With hard work and personal and professional support, athletes like George, Ware, and LeVert can come back from brutal injuries and shine. To learn more about sports injuries or to speak with a professional sports injury doctor, give us a call today.