Anthony Davis had big expectations when he arrived in Dallas. The ten-time All-Star, brought in as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, was supposed to be the new face of the Dallas Mavericks.
But his debut on February 8 against the Houston Rockets quickly became a disaster. Just as he was beginning to make his mark, he suffered an abdominal injury that forced him out of the game. What seemed like a minor setback initially spiraled into a six-week absence, leaving the Mavs without their star forward during a crucial stretch of the season.
On March 24, Davis finally returned against the Brooklyn Nets but was placed on a minutes restriction. Now, reflecting on the painful ordeal, he’s opening up about just how serious the injury was.
Anthony Davis Details the Injury That Kept Him Out for Six Weeks
Speaking with Andscape, Davis gave a firsthand account of the injury and the difficult road to recovery. He recalled the exact moment, describing a sudden, alarming sensation.
“When it first happened, I heard a pop,” he shared, explaining that at first, he thought it was just his hips adjusting. “I didn’t [expletive] know. It’s my first game playing. I didn’t think it was really much of anything.”
Despite the discomfort, Davis initially tried to push through. He attempted to return to the game and even tested himself on the practice court. But it quickly became apparent that something was seriously wrong. “I couldn’t run. And throughout the course of that night, I started getting a little bit stiffer,” he admitted. By the following day, things took a turn for the worse.
“I woke up the next day, and it was swollen. I couldn’t move my leg. If I’m lying down, I can’t sit up. I couldn’t lie back. I couldn’t lift my leg to move it whatsoever,” Davis recalled. That’s when he knew he needed further medical attention.
An MRI confirmed the severity of the injury, and Davis braced himself for bad news. He described the moment his trainer entered his hotel room with a notebook—something he’d seen before. “I just knew right there. He’d been with me for 13 years, so I already knew what time it was once he looked at me,” Davis said. “I just said, ‘When do I got to get surgery?’”
Fortunately, after consulting multiple doctors, the decision was made to avoid surgery. “We came to a consensus not to do it because the doctors all agreed that it was a nonsurgical injury. No need to go under the knife if you don’t have to,” he explained.
Dallas Mavericks Faces an Uphill Battle as Davis Returns
Davis’ injury couldn’t have been worse for the Mavericks. The team was already struggling after trading away Doncic, and to make matters worse, they lost Kyrie Irving for the season after he tore his ACL on March 3.
Davis had already dealt with an abdominal strain before the trade, missing his last two games with the Lakers. Then, in his first game for Dallas, he re-aggravated the injury, forcing him to miss 18 games.
He finally returned on March 24 against the Nets, contributing 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists in limited minutes. He posted 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in 29 minutes in his next game against the Orlando Magic. His Dallas debut had been even more impressive—26 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks against the Rockets before the injury struck.
As the Mavericks battle Phoenix for the final play-in spot, Davis’ health will be the key to their playoff hopes. The 2020 NBA champion has faced adversity before. But if Dallas wants a chance at the postseason, they’ll need him to stay on the court.