The prospect of NBA players dealing with soft-tissue injuries because of the extended time off sparked a social media debate between Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley and Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley.
The origin of the debate stemmed from Adrian Wojnarowski’s report that said each of the 22 teams participating in the NBA’s restart expressed concern about potential soft-tissue injuries.
After Dudley noted the lack of current dialogue on the matter, Beverley rejected the idea, which led Dudley to then deliver a shot back at Beverley.
Not enough talk about soft tissue injuries with basically 2 weeks of full court 5-5 to prepare of 3 month potential season.. https://t.co/onyQPZt2Hi
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 23, 2020
Again basketball is a year-round sport. We don’t wanna hear that sh*t. Check 🏀 https://t.co/USldo3JXa4
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 24, 2020
I don’t know what you talking about. Season happening! Believe that! But if you don’t think we as athletes should be talking about protest, injuries, COVID then you might want to sit this convo out bruh… https://t.co/yJo4FGGSas
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 24, 2020
NBA players have not been able to play in any league games after the NBA suspended play on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The highly contagious nature of the virus also forced players to quarantine, which provided them with limited options when it came to staying in game shape.
With the NBA ready to resume late next month after months away from the court, an increased risk of injury could be the byproduct of that extended inactivity.
The unprecedented situation has forced the league into scheduling all of the remaining games in Orlando, Fla., with no fans in attendance and strict safety protocols in place.
That chance of contracting the virus has largely been the focus of player concerns, with some of those players rejecting the idea of coming back into a potentially dangerous situation or during a time of social strife.
Dudley and Beverley are both on teams that have the potential to enjoy extended playoff runs. That means that their social media debate could eventually extend to interactions on the court.
