Here is perhaps the grimmest news item of the NBA season, relayed by the Washington Wizards under the devastatingly deadpan headline, “John Wall Injury Update.”
Wizards guard John Wall will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The procedure, which has yet to be scheduled, will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay, WI. Wall is expected to return to full basketball activity in approximately 12 months from the time of the surgery.
Wall had developed an infection in the incision from initial surgery on Jan. 8 (a debridement and repair of a Haglund’s deformity and a chronic Achilles tendon injury in his left heel that was also performed by Dr. Anderson) and he suffered the rupture after slipping and falling in his home. The rupture was diagnosed by Wizards Director of Medical Services and Orthopedist Dr. Wiemi Douoguih during a procedure to clean out the infection.
So, John Wall’s season ended on Jan. 8 when he had surgery to clean up some bone spurs and a chronic Achilles injury in his left heel. He then developed an infection in the incision from that surgery. He later slipped and fell in his house and ruptured the Achilles tendon in the same heel that had previously been operated on and infected. His left heel may just be a lump of infected scar tissue at this point.
Wall’s four-year contract extension, which will pay him an average of $42 million a season, kicks in next season.