Things were going pretty well for Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. to start the season. He was the team’s starter from opening night and averaging career-highs in both points per game (10.6) and field-goal percentage (61.4 percent), all while helping the Lakers get off to a surprisingly competitive start defensively.
That all ended when his season came to a halt after his broken hand required surgery that will sideline him for four to six weeks.
The situation isn’t ideal, and Nance told Bill Oram of the Southern California News Group he’s eager to get back out on the court:
“I was given a really good chance,” he said, “was making the most of it. So I’m just anxious to get back and keep making a good impression.”
Nance’s good impression will have to wait, and it’s not surprising that after such a freak injury that he’s been left lamenting his misfortune a bit:
“It’s been unfortunate that just little things that have been nicking at me,” Nance said. “This year I feel healthy and I feel great and everything.”
Basketball isn’t the only thing Nance’s injuries have caused issues in, either:
To make matters worse, Nance is an avid video game player. The injury not only sidelined him from his job, but also from his preferred hobby away from basketball.
“It hurts especially because the new ‘Call of Duty’ just came out,” Nance said. “I’ve got nothing to do, so I’m just sitting around watching TV all day.”
Injuries happen in professional athletics, but they’re never going to be a pleasant part of them. It’s understandable that Nance is kind of asking “why me?” but these types of things don’t usually happen for any logical reason.
Just like bounces of the ball can be unlucky and still determine outcomes of games, so are injuries, they just have more far-reaching consequences. Nance will be back, but especially with his preferred leisure activities taken away, this probably won’t be an easy injury to sit out with.
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