The Dreaded ACL Injury

Detroit Shock’s forward Cheryl Ford is done for the rest of the WNBA season.

And it couldn’t have happened in a worst way.

She was a peacemaker.

While trying to restrain teammate Plenette Pierson during the confrontation against Candice Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks, Ford’s right knee buckled as she tore her anterior cruciate ligament.

Here is the video of the aforementioned brawl.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the four major and stabilizing ligaments in our knees. Studies have found that this type of injuries is common among athletes—especially women—due to a variety of reasons: hormonal, balance, posture, and genes. An ACL can be torn by way of a “sudden dislocation, torsion, or hyperextension of the knee.”

Basically, these type of injury can happen at anytime and anywhere—even outside the arena of sports—as I heard a story awhile back wherein someone did tear their ACL after sitting down for a long time with their legs crossed.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries have been out there for quite some time. Over the last twenty years, several prominent players like Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, and Ron Harper have been able to return from his injury despite surgical procedures still being in its infancy.

Other instances

Probably the worst possible ACL injury occurred in February last year when former Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston tore three of the four major ligaments in his knee on a breakaway drive in the first quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats. While in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Minnesota Lynx point guard Lindsey Harding, the first overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during a seemingly harmless drive to the basket during the later part of her rookie season while playing against the Washington Mystics.

Just can’t get healthy

No player has suffered more ACL injuries than NBA forward Danny Manning. Manning was the top pick out of Kansas in 1988 who spent portions of his productive 15 year career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Pistons; suffered three ACL injuries: injuring his right knee during his rookie year in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks (1/4/89), another in the left knee during a team practice in Phoenix (2/7/95), and re-injuring his right knee again two years later in Sacramento (4/7/98).

While in the WNBA, Rebecca Lobo, one of the most decorated collegiate and Olympic female basketball players of this generation, was also not spared of his injury. In the New York Liberty season opener against the defunct Cleveland Rockers (6/10/99), Lobo tore her left ACL 42 seconds into the contest. Six months later, she reinjured the same leg during a rehab session (12/16/99).

Exceptions to the rule

For every injured player, there are also exceptions and two players come to mind, Karl Malone (Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers) and NBA Iron Man A.C. Green (Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat). Playing in 1458 games in a career that spanned 19 years, Malone’s only significant injury came during his last and only year with the Los Angeles Lakers wherein he missed 39 games due to torn knee ligament. On the other hand, A.C. Green has never missed any significant time having played in 1192 consecutive games (an NBA record).

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Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell calls for some good old NBA toughness

After the Toronto Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics in overtime yesterday, Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell had this to say, "the thing we talked to (Raptors Guard-Forward) Anthony (Parker) and all our guys about – if you're going to grab me, there's some things that I can do." Mitchell then added, "the officials do a great job, but they're not going to see everything ... So you've got to learn how to protect yourself."

He didn't say it, but everyone knew what he meant.

The NBA needs to get tough.

Gone are the days wherein "little" John Stockton of the Utah Jazz would go down low and set a pick for his teammates--only to casually expedite a well placed elbow to the mid-section (or even lower, depending on their height) of his opponent (True story...or so former Detroit Piston, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Laker, and Dallas Maverick Dennis Rodman claims in his book, "Bad As I Wanna Be).

Today, players are clamoring about San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen's inability to provide offensive opponents amply space to land after they launch a shot. Call it defense. Call it foul play. Call it "No Form." Call it Distracting. Despite what anyone says, it is effective. Albeit in more ways than one--just ask Ray Allen (when he was with the Sonics), he missed some games due to a sprained an ankle brought about by Bowen's defense.

The Star's Dave Feschuk shares a classic "low blow" story as told by former Minnesota Timberwolf and current Toronto Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell:

"On the night in question Karl Malone, the Utah Jazz legend, was setting illegal screens that too often ended with Malone's elbow in the face of Terry Porter, Mitchell's Minnesota Timberwolves teammate. Pleas to the referees went unheeded and soon enough, Porter's fist was planted in the Mailman's sub-drawstring.

"Terry didn't hit him hard ... You ain't got to hit `em hard. All you've got to do is graze `em ... Just tap `em. Just ring the little bells," said Mitchell. "And Karl Malone just dropped. He was screaming, `Ahh! He hit me in the balls! He hit me in the balls!'

"The next pick Karl Malone set ... he kept those arms in. I'm telling you, there's things you can do.""

Feschuk ends by saying that, "today's players certainly get criticized by their predecessors for being too soft, although below-the-belt assaults aren't foreign to the era. Bruce Bowen, the Spurs defensive specialist, kneed Steve Nash in the groin during last spring's playoffs. A couple of post-seasons ago Reggie Evans, then a Nugget, now a Sixers forward, allegedly grabbed a handful of Chris Kaman's privates. (Some observers lamented that Evans wasn't suspended, although, as Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni joked at the time, Evans did get all ball)."

We all know what would be considered "soft" defense.

Now, only time will tell if the Toronto Raptors and the rest of the NBA can show just enough of that classic toughness.

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In the Triple-Post Offense..."Point guards are like trophy wives."

This is an excerpt from an article I read in 2004. It talks about how Los Angeles Lakers free agents Gary Payton and Karl Malone have adjusted to the triple-post offense (triangle offense).

"After spending his entire career with the ball in his hands, once Karl Malone was hurt and the Lakers stopped running, GP was reduced to being the fourth option on a team that didn't need him. The way the triangle offense works, point guards are like trophy wives -- just stand there, look good, and occasionally, we'll let you launch an open 3-pointer."