Injuries are common in any sport, especially if it’s a physical one like basketball. In the NBA, fans have witnessed several injuries that have sometimes derailed the careers of players. These are mostly self-afflicted that arise due to the body of a player undergoing plenty of strain. However, there are times when a player suffers from an injury that is caused by the action of someone in the opposition.
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Just like in the NBA, injuries do happen in college basketball as well, and can sometimes be extremely serious. One such potential injury took place during the match between the Duke Blue Devils and the Clemson Tigers, where Duke’s forward, Wendell Moore Jr., endured a horrific impact while dunking during a fast-break.
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Moore Jr. would steal the ball from Clemson’s David Collins and run down the court in the hopes of an easy finish at the rim. However, Collins would collide into Moore Jr. while the latter was on his way up for the dunk leading to a flagrant foul and an immediate ejection. Therafter, many fans took to Twitter to express their views about the incident.
NBA Fans in a state of shock
The hard foul on Wendell Moore Jr. put Twitter in a frenzy with some fans, comparing the incident to Grayson Allen’s foul on Alex Caruso.
Even Grayson Allen wouldn’t have done that…
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
What in the Grayson Allen is this?!?!
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
Additionally, several fans expressed their views about Clemson’s David Collins. They claimed that the Tigers’ guard should face severe punishment, including a suspension. They felt that a simple ejection from the game did not do justice to the kind of foul that the guard committed.
Suspension has to follow right? This is so bad
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
This is crazy. Whoever the defender was should be suspended for a long time. There was no semblance of a basketball play here.
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
This should be a multiple game suspension. Dirtiest thing I’ve seen in CBB in a while. Should’ve cleared the bench. Could’ve broken something pretty easily.
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
Furthermore, some fans took to expressing views of aggression on Twitter. They claimed that the rest of the Duke squad should have engaged in a fight with Collins.
His teammates need to return the favor!
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
Dude should be suspended for the season. The fact no one on Duke fought him doesn’t sit with me well
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
How did the Duke guys not beat his ass for this?
#Duke @ #Clemson will be heated the rest of the way #ACCN
Clearly, the Internet is in full support of Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. An undercut like this from any player can not just end the opposing player’s career, but also put their very life at risk. Thankfully, this situation did not injure Moore Jr., as the Duke forward would return to finish the game without any issues. He would end the game with 8 points and 8 assists. On a brighter note, despite Collins committing the foul, he showed his professionalism by apologizing to Coach K and claiming responsibility for the incident.
In Conclusion
Although injuries are common in a highly physical sport like basketball, they should never come up as a result of someone’s actions. Like Grayson Allen, even Collins’ undercut was deemed unjustifiable and unnecessary.
May 21, 2021; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) hugs Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) after the game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The intensity of a game can often cause such cases to happen, but players must look at the bigger picture at times. After all, basketball is just a sport and forms only a part of a player’s life.