One of the more concerning things involving the injury to Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis was that the team was silent for some time on exactly what the injury was.
Lower body injuries are always concerning for big men and the lack of updates regarding Davis only led to even more concern about how serious the injury was.
Eventually, it was revealed that Davis is dealing with a stress reaction in the foot. Prior to the Lakers’ game in Atlanta against the Hawks, Davis revealed why it took so long to get everything diagnosed, saying he went to numerous doctors in order to determine the best course of action, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Five, I think? Five doctors just taking the imaging and sending it around and just kind of getting information. Especially in the beginning when they were talking about surgery, well, I don’t like surgery. I just feel that if it can be avoided, then let’s avoid it. So when that became an option, I wanted to make sure I get the best understanding for me because I’m the one who has to make the decision with that. And it’s kind of taken time to think about it and then when the doctors said that usually when you get an MRI right after the injury, things later, four or five or seven days later, it’s actually worse because it allows your body, whatever needs to get a chance to set in. When it’s right after, nothing has happened but swelling and stuff like that, which I didn’t have.
“So that’s why there was nothing that week and I was just waiting for more imaging I think on the 22nd. And it’s actually had gotten better, which is a good sign. Which also kind of pushed me further away from the surgery option. A week of no real hard treatment and it’s healing, trending in the right direction in a week? I can only imagine what it can do if we start adding treatment and shockwave and bone stems, and all these things. So that’s kind of what it’s been like and then now just kind of watching it and MRI-ing it to death and making sure that it’s continually doing what it’s supposed to do.”
Considering Davis’ injury history, it makes sense why he would hope to avoid surgery and he surely breathed a great sigh of relief at the injury getting better on its own. These things can take a mental toll on athletes, especially when dealing with so many injuries year after year and Davis admitted that it was tough for him mentally in the immediate aftermath:
“It was very painful and the doctor told me that I had a fracture and a bone spur in my foot. So at that moment and maybe leading into the next day, it was tough for me mentally just because of the fact that coming off the last year with the injuries and coming out and having the mindset of getting back to who I want to be as a player, and was in that mold. For something like this to happen, it was just tough mentally but then after that just kind of figured out the next steps to get back on the floor.”
Davis added that the stress reaction diagnosis did scare him as that can eventually lead to a stress fracture which is a whole different animal to deal with. But for the time being, things seem to be going in the right direction for his eventual return to the court.
The Lakers big man is doing everything in his power to get back on the court and continue dominating as he was to start this season.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis says foot is healing ‘pretty quickly’
Exactly when Davis will be back on the court remains unclear but the Lakers’ star is encouraged by the progress being made already.
Davis said that the foot is healing ‘pretty quickly’ and he will undergo more imaging when the Lakers get back to L.A. from their current road trip. Should all go well, Davis plans on ramping up on-court training in hopes of returning to the court.
But make no mistake, he and the Lakers will be extremely cautious in getting him back on the floor.
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