The NBA Draft is a month away, and wing Darryn Peterson is one of the top prospects. While Peterson generated tons of headlines for his play, his availability became a controversial topic.
Recently, Peterson discussed his physical and mental struggles following a cramping issue that threatened to cause more harm than ending his basketball career.
Top NBA Draft Prospect Darryn Peterson Reveals Struggles After Serious Cramping Issue
Peterson described the life-threatening cramping incident in a recent ESPN interview. Peterson said “At first, I thought it was like a normal cramp that you get as a hopper, but then it just got worse. And that’s when I got to the training table is when I was saying like, we got to call 911. So, I’m laying on the training table just not able to move. Felt like I was going to die that day.”
Peterson added “Like it traumatized me. Anytime I feel anything, I uh, no matter how much I told myself it wasn’t going to happen, the brain works its own way.”
The University of Kansas star experienced trauma after participating in the team’s annual boot camp. Peterson started taking creatine, a supplement that helps athletes get stronger and become more explosive.
His body shut down as a response to the creatine intake, to the point that the team’s medical staff couldn’t even find a vein to inject fluids.
Peterson eventually received the necessary fluids upon arrival at the hospital. However, his body remained sore in the aftermath, something he believes causes more mental anguish than physical.
Peterson is relieved that the issue has been resolved. Doctors informed him that his body naturally creates a high level of creatine, and the extra doses were harmful and unnecessary to his body.
Peterson now heads into the NBA Draft with a clear understanding of how to avoid the issue moving forward. He solidified his spot at the top of the draft during the season, averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from three.
Would You Rather: Darryn Peterson or these NBA Players? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/eAxAZi4FP3
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Looking ahead to his NBA future, Peterson revealed he believes his natural position is point guard, a role he rarely played at Kansas. He finished his career with the Jayhawks with 38 assists and 38 turnovers, which makes it unlikely he’ll be asked to run the team regardless of where he’s drafted.
Peterson projects as an all-star-level scoring wing with franchise-player upside if he improves some of the small weaknesses in his game. NBA organizations may have concerns about Peterson’s availability, but he believes the worst is behind him now that he has a roadmap for managing his creatine levels.
