Game 5 of the Western Conference semi-finals matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors saw Anthony Davis get struck on his head in the fourth quarter. The severity of the injury has attracted mixed reactions from the public. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley seemed to make fun of him themselves, but Draymond Green brought a more serious perspective in his podcast.
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The series between the California teams have got everyone on the edge of their seats, with the Lakers leading 3-2. Coming into Game 5, the Warriors were down a rabbit hole and faced elimination at their home court. However, Steph Curry’s teammates stepped up to force a Game 6 in LA.
During the game, Anthony Davis was inadvertently hit in the head by Kevon Looney’s arm while going for an offensive rebound. Davis would miss the remainder of the game and was taken to the back, before eventually being wheelchaired to the locker room.
Once Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley heard this serious report though, all they could do is laugh. And apparently, it was the reason Draymond Green decided to set them straight.
Draymond Green talks about the severity of Anthony Davis’ injury
Draymond Green, on his podcast ‘The Draymond Green Show‘, was not happy with the reactions to the injury suffered. He went on a rant about sports injuries and took a grave stand on it impacting a player’s life. Here is what he had to say:
“One small hit to the head can change everything in your life. Every time you step on the basketball court, the football field, on the ice or the pitch, you are risking your life because one injury can change everything. We saw, not in the past world cup, but the world cup before it, neymar have an injury to his back which was couple of inches from paralysing him. The smallest hit to the wrong part of the head can change your life.”
The reaction from Draymond came against the backdrop of Shaq and Chuck’s reaction on the show – ‘NBA on TNT’. During the postgame show, Shaq was seen to be crumpling paper while hearing the news of Davis being pulled into a wheelchair and feeling woozy. This led to an uncontrollable sequence of continued laughter on the show.
Davis has had his fair share of injuries in the past and is portrayed to be soft or made of paper in this case. However, any minor injury to the head, in specific near the temple, can prove fatal. Shaq and Charles know better, and their reactions were completely unwarranted.
Anthony Davis’ injury impact on Game 6 of the series
Game 5 saw Anthony Davis visibly shaken by the blow and not return to the game. As per reporter Chris Haynes, he was taken into the locker room in a wheelchair and evaluated by the medical personnel at Chase Center. The report further concluded that AD avoided a concussion and is expected to play in Game 6.
If Davis was declared to have a concussion, he would have been put under the NBA’s concussion protocol. The protocol would have required him to complete a set of activities that would deem him fit to continue playing. With Game 6 on Friday night, Anthony Davis would not have been ready to participate.
Barring any major setback, this is good news for the Lakers trying to close out the series in LA. Davis has arguably been the best player on the court, and the team will need all he can provide. Meanwhile, the Warriors are facing another elimination game (the third of the playoffs) and will bank on Stephen Curry to guide them home.
