San Antonio Spurs’ point guard Tony Parker said he expects that his left ankle sprain will have healed enough for him to play when the NBA Finals kick off Thursday night.
Parker aggravated a previous ankle injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he re-injured it again in Game 5. Parker was having difficulty moving on the injured ankle in Game 6, so head coach Gregg Popovich decided to let Parker rest for the remainder of the game. The move proved wise, as the Spurs were able to win the series that night, assuring them four days off before the Finals against the Miami Heat.
Parker was glad his teammates were able to hold on in his absence, noting that the pain was too much for him to compete.
“I twisted my ankle in Game 4 of the first round against Dallas,” said Parker. “I continued to play with the pain and I again twisted the ankle in Game 4 of the conference finals against Oklahoma City. I gritted my teeth; I did not mean to abandon my teammates. But the pain was too strong in the sixth game. I could not really play anymore.”
Parker said he’s been receiving treatment over the last few days, and he believes he’ll be able to play in Game 1 on Thursday night.
“Today, I spend my days in treatment,” said Parker. “But the good news is that I will play the first game of the Finals on Thursday against the Heat. I may not be 100% but I’ll be there. In 13 years, I played seven conference finals and I have the chance to play my fifth Finals with Spurs. This is really great. I continue my dream, this is really something great.”
Dr. Silverman comments
Tony Parker has had a great career, but when I heard that he was out with an ankle injury, I thought to myself. “I think I’ve written about Parker’s ankles on the blog before.”
Sure enough, a search of the blog found that I wrote about Tony’s ankle just over a year ago. Not surprisingly, it was the left ankle that was bothering him at that point as well. In fact, in that blog post I noted that the 2013 incident wasn’t the first time he had left ankle trouble. He had suffered numerous rolls and sprains in the past. This led me to write:
Bottom line, Parker should have his ankle ligaments reconstructed. The ankle will continue to be a liability because it will be unstable and roll easily. He needs to get his ankle fixed, not only for his own health in the short term, but for the health of his ankle and the rest of his body in the long term.
Parker never had his ligaments reconstructed, and what do you know? He’s suffered three different ankle rolls in the playoffs alone. As a point guard who frequently drives the lane and makes a living by beating players off the dribble, an unstable ankle just isn’t going to cut it. I’d be amazed if Parker played the entire Finals without suffering another setback. In fact, based on his ankle troubles, I would not be surprised if Parker decided to retire in the offseason, especially if the Spurs can win the title. The prospect of surgery and rehab may seem too daunting at this stage of his career.
I hope Parker makes it through the Finals without too much pain, but if he plans to continue his career after this season, he simply must undergo an operation on his ailing ankle.
Related sources: CBS, ESPN, San Antonio News Express
