Nikola Jokic Goes Down With Knee Injury As Social Media Holds Its Breath
Nothing is official yet, but this doesn't look good for Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets were in Miami to take on the Heat for an otherwise meaningless late-December NBA matchup, but as the first half of the game wound down, a nightmare scenario was unfolding.
Star Nuggets center Nikola Jokić was sent crumpling to the floor under the basket in the dying seconds of the second quarter with an apparent knee injury, and just by the looks of it, the prognosis could be devastating for both Jokic and Denver.
That is about as textbook of a non-contact knee injury as they come, and while I won't speculate on anything until an official statement is put out, you can just tell by the way the usually stoic Jokic was writhing in pain that this was something a bit more serious than a simple strain or cramp.
The three-time NBA MVP was having arguably his best season yet, averaging a triple-double with 30 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11 assists, so seeing him potentially have to miss a chunk of time because the injury would not only rob him of another potential award, but the basketball community of seeing more of his brilliance on the court.
The reaction on social media has been as panicked as you would imagine, with many fans fearing the worst for Jokic and predicting a season-ending ligament tear to be the diagnosis.
Watching Jokic is a treat, and even though I am not the biggest NBA fan, I always make it a point to check out what the big man in Denver is up to, as I do with other all-time greats in any sport.
It would be an absolute travesty if we lost Jokic for any significant amount of time, so I think I speak for everyone when I say let's hope this is nothing more than a bad sprain.
Here's to a full recovery from Nikola Jokić.