As the competitive balance of the NBA playoffs is being compromised by a spate of injuries — with player health affecting just about every other round of the series — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James says he saw it coming. .
Before James wished LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard - it was announced on Wednesday that Leonard would be sidelined with a right knee injury - he voiced the objections he voiced to being fast-tracked in the league. Published a series of tweets reflecting this. The 2020-21 season will begin exactly 71 days after the Lakers became champions in October.
They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season. I knew exactly what would happen. I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT & BENEFIT of OUR GAME! These injuries isn’t just “PART OF THE GAME”. It’s the lack of PURE They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season. I knew exactly what would happen. I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT & BENEFIT of OUR GAME! These injuries isn’t just “PART OF THE GAME”. It’s the lack of PURE They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season. I knew exactly what would happen. I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT & BENEFIT of OUR GAME! These injuries isn’t just “PART OF THE GAME”. It’s the lack of PURE
Leonard, who has been knocked out for Game 5 of the Clippers Western Conference semifinal series with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, will be the eighth All-Star to miss a playoff game this year, the most in league history. Elias Sports Bureau.
Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns, who could miss the start of the Western Conference Finals if the league's health and safety protocols are in place, could be ninth with James's teammate Anthony Davis; James Harden and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets; Donovan Mitchell and Mike Connelly of Jazz; Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics; Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers; and Leonard.
In response to James' tweet, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement: "The injury rate this season was virtually the same as it was during the 2019-20 season, while starter-level and All-Star players were more prone to injury. Reasons games were missed. Rates as of the last three seasons. While injuries are an unfortunate reality of our sport, we recognize the enormous sacrifices NBA players and teams make to play through this pandemic."
While James played all six games of the Lakers' first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix, he did so on a right ankle that still hadn't fully recovered from a sprain in mid-March, which cost him a 26 in LA Had to miss the last 30 regular-season games.
The Lakers were terminated by the Sun about two weeks ago, but within the past few days, James shared an Instagram video that showed him receiving continued treatment on his ankle.
Beginning training camp in December, James has revealed that he was amazed at how quickly the league transitioned from an NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, to a condensed 72-game regular-season schedule as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic persisted in the form of -19.
"I was like, 'Whoa.' And I said, 'Oh, s---,'" James said on December 7 when asked about his reaction to the quick turnaround. "Just to be completely honest, I didn't expect it because the initial talks were going on and I was hearing there would be a sort of mid-January start and training camp would start after Christmas."
According to research by the Alias Sports Bureau, the playoffs continued an unfortunate trend for the NBA during the regular season, when the All-Stars missed 370 out of a possible 1,944 games (19%), the highest for one season in NBA history. has the highest percentage. .
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in April after helping lead the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in the bubble, acknowledged the harsh reality that will likely determine what the rest of How does the postseason play?
"The healthiest team will win the championship this year," Murray tweeted.