DeMarcus Cousins Suffers Knee Contusion, Condition Is Day To Day
USA Basketball loses another man to an untimely injury as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Spain draws near.
According to ESPN, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a right knee contusion as he was chasing for a loose ball and dove to the floor. Team USA and the Kings can both heave a sigh of relief as initial diagnosis revealed no structural damage to the knee. Cousins is listed as day to day.
The versatile big man got entangled with New Orleans forward Anthony Davis in the team's practice Thursday. Both men hit the floor and Cousins was slow to get up. He had to be helped by teammates and was visibly limping. The latest setback is a disturbing trend for Team USA which earlier lost Paul George to a freak injury.
Aside from missing the services of the Indiana Pacers all-star small forward, the Americans are already without Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and the latest omission, Kevin Durant, who all withdrew from participation due to various reasons. Griffin is sidelined to heal a back injury. Love held out to make sure that his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers will have no hiccups while Durant chose not be included in the team due to fatigue.
The clearance for Cousins is a big relief for the team as the MRI revealed that there is no structural damage. Team USA coach Mike Kryzewski and his team were visibly concerned with Cousins as they approached the big man to look into his injury. Cousin for his part was not immediately wary as he was even doling out messages through his phone while being attended by the staff. The team also gave out its official statement in light of the recent development.
"USA Basketball National Team member DeMarcus Cousins suffered a knee-to-knee collision with a teammate during Thursday's USA practice in Chicago. According to USA Basketball team physician Dr. Lisa Callahan (Hospital for Special Surgery/New York Knicks), an MRI was done and revealed no structural damage. Cousins is listed as day-to-day," the team said in a statement.
The polarizing big man known for his emotional style of play also assured his followers on Twitter of his condition.
Thanks for all the concern, I'm fine
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) August 14, 2014