Kristaps Porzingis, the former Knicks 7 foot 3 inch Unicorn was injured on February 6th of last year. Kristaps made an amazing play, dunking on his appointment Giannis Antetokounmpo also known as the Greek Freak! When he landed from this incredible play, Giannis’s body fell into Kristaps and caused a him to hyperextended his knee. Check out the play below!
The ACL is a ligament in your knee that provides stability to the joint. When the ACL is torn the knee becomes completely unstable, making running, cutting, and landing impossible. Now imagine having to do these activities every night for 82 games against some of the best athletes in the world! This is why athletes like Kristaps elect to have surgery when they tear their ACL to help them have the best chances of returning to their sport.
Check out the picture below for an idea of what a torn ACL looks like!
Kristaps is now 12 months removed from surgery. There have been mixed reports about his recovery; whether he is on pace to return this season or not. With this type of surgery, sports medicine specialists like physical therapists usually follow a protocol to help get the athlete back in the game! Think of the protocol as a research based “plan of attack” to help return the athlete to competition. At 12 months there are certain activities we can and should expect Kristaps to be performing if his recovery is following typical, and expected progress. Here are a few examples of what recovery should look like at 12 months for a basketball player following ACL reconstruction.
The future of the Mavericks franchise depends on the knee of its 7’3” Unicorn Kristaps Porzingis. Their championship dreams are tied to the knee of their new prized asset! We pride ourselves in helping our patients win their own personal championship in life, whatever that may mean to the individual.
If you have questions about your knee pain or want further clarification on an injury, please don’t hesitate to give our team a call today at (646) 875-8348!
