The only thing worse for USA Basketball than failing to win the FIBA World Cup would be if another of its stars suffers a serious injury. That awful possibility appeared reality for a few fleeting moments Thursday after Kyrie Irving took a hard fall – and stayed on the ground – late in Team USA’s sleepy 95-71 win over Ukraine.
Yikes.
The real danger of competitive basketball as opposed to pick-up or training are moments like this when bodies collide violently in mid-air. It’s a rare occurrence, but awkward tumbles like Irving’s are an almost commonplace result.
Thankfully, Irving quieted concerns that his injury was serious after the game.
https://twitter.com/KyrieIrving/status/507589189336956928
With long-term worries out of the way, immediate ones take precedent. Will Irving be healthy enough to play on Saturday in Team USA’s opening game of the knockout round? If he’s feeling any ill-effects from his fall, don’t be surprised if Mike Krzyzewski errs on the side of caution. There’s simply no need to rush Irving back before he’s ready given this tournament’s level of competition for the Americans.
Stay tuned for FIBA ramifications of Irving’s status. But don’t worry, Cavs fans – there aren’t NBA ones.
(GIF via _MarcusD_)
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