Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis exited in the fourth quarter of his team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday evening after being elbowed in the head by Kevon Looney.
The injury came at the 7:34 mark in the final stanza with Davis appearing woozy on the court before ultimately departing. Los Angeles was down 101-88 at the time as it looked to eliminate Draymond Green and the defending champion Warriors. AD did not return to the game as Golden State forced Game 6 back in Los Angeles Friday evening.
After the game, Turner Sports on-air personalities Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal had some “fun” at Anthony Davis’ expense, mocking him for leaving on a wheelchair:
This led to people on social media piling on. That’s not necessarily a surprise given the nature of social media today. It is, however, a surprise that two Hall of Famers showed such a lack of professionalism.
Well, Green was having none of it following the game. He went to bat for his rival in a big way after Golden State’s season-saving 121-106 win.
Related: NBA insider gives huge update on Anthony Davis for Game 6
Draymond Green talks Anthony Davis injury
“One small hit to the head can change everything in your life. Every time you step out on a basketball court, the football field, out on the ice, on a pitch…you’re risking your life because one injury can change everything,” Draymond Green said on his The Volume Sports podcast.
It’s easy for armchair experts behind their keyboards to mock a professional athlete. It’s a completely different thing when you are an opposing athlete and saw what transpired on the court.
The good news? It appears that Davis did avoid a concussion. He’ll have to undergo more tests before being cleared for Thursday’s huge Game 6 tilt in Los Angeles. What we do know is that he’s played a larger role than LeBron James in having the Lakers in position to close out the defending champs at home Thursday night.
- Anthony Davis stats (conference semifinals): 22.4 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.2 BPG, 58% shooting
As for Draymond Green, he scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting in helping Golden State fend off elimination Wednesday evening.