Shaun Livingston: Finding A (More) Permanent Home With The Golden State Warriors (Photo: FromRussiaWithDunk.com)
The Golden State Warriors have finally found their backup point guard to Stephen Curry. After the NBA moratorium on free agent signings ends July 10th, Shaun Livingston will sign with the Warriors for a reported three years, $18 million, finally landing a multi-year contract.
The well-traveled story of Livingston’s recovery from a gruesome, debilitating knee injury while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in February of 2007, might be what he’s best known for.
Ironically, current Warriors trainer Johan Wang was there when it happened, as a member of the Clippers’ staff of trainers, even accompanying Livingston in the ambulance ride from Staples Center to the hospital.
In a video interview with Fox Sports 1 of New York this past March while Livingston was a still a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Clippers team doctor Steve Shimoyama recalled how he popped Livingston’s knee cap back into place.
“His knee was deformed, almost like a pretzel, so I instinctively put my elbow behind his knee, so it was my biceps against his hamstring and I just tugged as hard as I could,” Shimoyama said, “I could see his knee cap was dislocated as well, so simultaneously I had to try to straighten his knee and put his kneecap back into place.”
Jonathan Abrams described the moment in his brilliantly written long-form piece (well worth the entire read) on Livingston for Grantland:
Shimoyama flexed Livingston’s knee and hip to loosen up the hamstring so he would not fight muscle contractions as he tried to put the knee back into place. He placed an elbow on Livingston’s knee to increase his pull. After a few seconds, the knee popped back into place.
Said Wang, “Usually you tear one, two, maybe three ligaments, but it’s just so unheard of with a sport like basketball to sustain an injury like that.”
Ralph Lawler, long time TV play-by-play announcer for the Clippers, called Livingston’s injury, “The most horrific thing I’ve ever seen on a basketball court.”
The injury was so severe, there was a chance that Livingston’s leg would have to be amputated.
“The reason they had to take the blood test was possibly because if I tore my artery in the back of my leg, I could get gangrene and possibly have to amputate my leg,” Livingston explained to Fox Sports 1, “I told myself I never wanted to see the injury just for the mental purposes.”
Livingston described his road to recovery as “not looking at the mountain and focusing on the task at hand each day.”
The Warriors are the eleventh different NBA team that the former 4th pick of the 2004 NBA Draft out of high school will play for, but this will be his first multi-year deal since his rookie contract with the Clippers.
He’s finally reached a pinnacle on that mountain.
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