Luka Doncic picked up a calf strain during the Christmas Day matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center. He could only play 16 minutes and his team ended up losing the game 99-105. As per reports, Luka is slated to miss games for “an extended period of time” due to the same injury.
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Chiming in on Luka’s injury, NBA legend Eddie Johnson offered solutions for quick recovery.
Speaking from experience, as he had endured several calf injuries back in the day, Johnson listed out a few things that Luka should do to recover quickly. The former Phoenix Sun also outlined that calf injuries are recurring in nature if they’re not handled properly.
He wrote, “Strained my calf 3 times in my prime, like Luka! A lot of issues was alignment.”
He advised the Mavs superstar to do stretching as much as he can with good posture as it’s the only cure in his opinion. “Structural doctor and non-stop Stretching with good posture is his only cure or it will continue to happen. Dr. Johnson has spoken!” he added.
Strained my calf 3 times in my prime , like Luka! A lot of issues was alignment. Structural doctor and non stop Stretching with good posture is his only cure or it will continue to happen. Dr. Johnson has spoken! https://t.co/VbWfiMLuaO
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) December 26, 2024
Luka picked up the calf strain on a harmless play in the second quarter. Shams Charania reported, “Doncic left the arena on crutches today in Dallas. He is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday.” As of now, there’s no update from the Mavs on Luka’s injury. They’ve also not revealed how long it will take for the Slovenian to be back on the floor.
Calf injuries often range from mild to severe, but the worst part is that if the first injury is not treated properly, the risk of being reinjured remains high. Another point of concern for the Mavs superstar would be the fact that he has already missed eight games this season. If he misses another 10, he won’t be eligible for any major NBA award.
Eddie Johnson managed to have a successful career despite injuries
Most players with multiple injuries throughout their tenure fail to live up to their potential. However, despite having three major calf injuries in his career, Eddie Johnson managed to have a successful career. The 1989 NBA Sixth Man of the Year had a nearly two-decades-long career with a short break in 1994-1995 for the Greek league.
Johnson played in the NBA from 1981 to 1999 for six different teams. In that time, he scored 19,202 points averaging 16 points per game. He also had 4,832 rebounds averaging four rebounds per game and 2,550 assists with a 2.1 average.
So, the remedies that he suggested to Luka might have worked for him in the past. Hopefully, the Slovenian will recover quickly as the 2024 NBA Finalists will need their best player on the floor for another successful season.