SUMMARY
- Basketball players are prone to major ankle injuries due to the nature of the sport involving frequent jumping and landing.
- Stephen Curry faced recurrent ankle injuries and sprains early in his NBA career.
Basketball players are susceptible to major ankle injuries, as they do a lot of jumping and landing. Lower extremity injuries—the ones affecting the ankles, knees, and hamstrings—are the most common. And, among all these, ankle injuries are the most dreadful, as they can take a lot of time just to recover.
Even though the injuries get healed, residual chronic symptoms like ankle disability, excruciating pain, weakness, stiffness, and crepitus might remain for a long period of time. When professional players like Stephen Curry get into the picture, the problem becomes even bigger. It’s a fact that Stephen Curry is the best shooter for the Golden State Warriors. And there is a chance that the whole roster might slump to bad scores if he goes out of play.
Recurring ankle injuries almost ended Steph Curry’s career early.
Then, he hit the weight room. By 2015, he was deadlifting over 400lbs and his ankles were healthy.
Steph is so great because he didn’t rely on talent; he worked harder and smarter.
Talent isn’t enough; WORK. pic.twitter.com/dhMKDFTmiU
— Ball is Psych (@BallisPsych) June 22, 2022
Curry has fought his own battle with ankle injuries and sprains in his initial years in the NBA league. Due to recurrent ankle injuries, one can now spot the star guard with ankle braces more often. Since neither the team nor the roster can afford it if ‘Chef Curry’ misses a game or two, the 35-year-old high-flying guard takes extra precautions with his ankles.
The 4x NBA champion and 2x NBA MVP isn’t the only player to succumb to such grave injuries. Even Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks is a victim of the same issue due to constant pivoting and jumping. This issue raises awareness about which ankle braces offer the best support.
Stephen Curry prefers ZAMST A2-DX ankle braces over any other
In 2014, the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ was the center of ankle remedy coverage initiated by Sports Business Journal. During that coverage, Curry said, “I’ve used a lot of different braces to help reinforce my right ankle, but since my surgery, I have only been wearing the ZAMST A2-DX, which has provided the support I need to keep me on the court.”
Stephen Curry wearing our Zamst A2-DX ankle braces the other night in hr Warriors game! pic.twitter.com/EYA2rn4yD3
— Zamst (@Zamst_us) January 31, 2017
One feature that makes these braces stand out from the rest is the use of ZAMST X-straps. This enhances the anterior, lateral, and medial stability of the ankles. It’s worth noting that the star guard is averaging 28.0 points per game, 4.4. rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 46.2% shooting from the field. The product of the Davidson Wildcats has indeed resurrected himself from his lowest point.
Stephen Curry suffered five ankle sprains after his first season
The Bay Area team drafted the 2009 first-round (seventh overall) pick in 2009. And, on March 17, 2010, Curry missed his first game as a rookie. Well, that was not all; although the issue didn’t become severe, he faced five ankle sprains after his first season. According to the Rocky Mountain Foot and Ankle arthroscopy report, Curry appeared in just 26 games in the 2011–2012 season, due to recurrent ankle injuries.
Well, the five consecutive ankle sprains were to blame for his erratic performance on the hardwood. The NBA ‘shooting god’ suffered from ligament injuries and weak right tendons until the 2012 preseason. Although the injuries haven’t left the player alone, the use of ankle braces has minimized the risk of him missing out on the games.