Anthony Davis has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries throughout his 12-year career.
Anthony Davis is undoubtedly one of the most talented NBA players to ever grace the game.
The All-Star big man has cemented himself as one of the league elite thanks to his prolific shot blocking. As a result, he is a champion, a member of the NBA 75 and will someday be enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame.
However, he has spent a lot time on the sidelines missing several games in his career due to nagging injuries that he has sustained.
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Anthony Davis’s injury history
Davis has sustained. many injuries throughout his 12-year career across both his time with the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers.
2012-13 Season
Anthony Davis’ career would start off promising however he would manage to play in 64 games of a possible 82. He suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle, causing him to miss 11 games that season. He also suffered a left shoulder injury early in 2013 after a collision. He would later miss the final three games of the season after suffering an MCL strain in his left knee.
2013-14 Season
In year two of his career, Davis picked up two significant injuries that forced him to sit out and miss more games. He sat out seven games after suffering a fractured hand, and he missed more time due to a discolored left index finger. He also sprained his left shoulder. His season ended early that year after suffering back spasms.
2014-15 season
In year three of his career, Davis would lead the Pelicans to the playoffs, where they fell to the inevitable champs in the Golden State Warriors.
However, his injury woes would continue. He suffered a sprained toe, along with a sprain and a shoulder and sprained ankle early in 2015 that would force him to miss the 2015 NBA All-Star game due to the shoulder sprain. He dislocated his left finger in another incident, forcing him to miss more games that season. He would unfortunately miss more games that season due to back spasms, which would be a recurring issue for him throughout his career.
He would play a total of 67 games out of 82 that season.
2015-16 Season
In year four, Davis played 61 games out of 82. He missed the final stretch of the regular season due to a torn labrum and a left knee injury. He also suffered a sprained toe and a concussion earlier in the season. After four seasons straight of injury issues, Davis would have two healthy seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18, playing a max of 75 games.
2017-18 Season
Davis led the Pelicans to the postseason for the second time, beating the Portland Trailblazers in the first round, despite playing through a rib contusion.
2018-19 Season
In his final season in New Orleans, after two seasons of remaining relatively healthy, Davis missed several games in 2019 after suffering a finger sprain.
Injuries trouble in Los Angeles
In his first season in Los Angeles, Davis managed to play in 62 games, along with playing in the postseason and helping them win a championship.
However, his injury woes would catch up to him during the 2020-21 season, only appearing in 36 out of 72 games due to a calf and Achilles injuries. He would suit up to play in the first round of the 2021 playoffs; however, he missed Games 5 and 6 due to a groin injury.
During the 2022-23 season, he would miss more games, playing in 40 out of a possible 82 regular season games after suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee that forced him to miss 17 games. He would then miss 18 games due to the right ankle injury.
2022-23 Season
Davis missed 26 games due to a right foot injury. He returned to the court in January of that season, however he would deal with a severe injury in the same foot that forced him to miss more games.
There’s a lot that has been said about Davis due to how often he is on the sidelines nursing nagging injuries. NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley has never been shy when it comes to criticizing Davis and all the ongoing issues with injuries, going as far as calling him “Street clothes.
Whatever you say about Davis you can’t deny that his talent has allowed him to continue to play at a high level after dealing with several injuries.