Visceral reactions from around the NBA to LeVert’s injury
Look, there will be time in the coming days to start digging into the purely basketball implications of Caris LeVert’s injury.
But at this point, we haven’t heard an official diagnosis or prognosis and it feels unseemly to throw my basketball analyst hat on so soon.
Social media didn’t fail to disappoint — there were various, almost immediate, comments about the Brooklyn Nets’ season being over, “embrace the tank” talk and the dreaded “oh, my poor fantasy team” types of comments.
Such is life in the age of the greatest tool narcissists have ever known.
But the NBA player community responded with a tremendous outpouring of support for LeVert, a player who is genuinely well-liked for his work ethic and a player who has already spent much of his basketball career battling major injuries.
I HATE injuries! Prayers up for Caris LeVert!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) November 13, 2018
Prayers out to @CarisLeVert!!! Been watchin him play this season and I’ve loved every bit of it! Hate to see him get injured 🙏🏾
— Chris Paul (@CP3) November 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/kevinlove/status/1062173164984299522
https://twitter.com/Enes_Kanter/status/1062172350744014848
That is just a small sampling — many other players, past and present, weighed in with well wishes for LeVert.
Coach Kenny Atkinson also found it difficult to discuss, per Michael Grady of YES Network.
Coach Atkinson extremely emotional in postgame interview, cut it short.
— Michael Grady (@Grady) November 13, 2018
Caris is as loved as any player on any team I’ve been around.
One player who it really hit home for was Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP whose own career has been ravaged by injuries. He’s been on the court for some of the worst injuries in recent NBA history.
Derrick Rose was on the court for Paul George's injury, Gordon Hayward's injury, and now Caris LeVert's injury. Here's his quote from the locker room tonight. pic.twitter.com/0EMhHDWL6s
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) November 13, 2018
As stated earlier, there is time to start digging into the basketball elements of LeVert’s injury and the aftermath.
I think for right now, this night, we can just decide to be a person about it.