injury update

Ja Morant Provides Recovery Update

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Ja Morant posted an inspiring message to his fans as he continues to recover from season-ending shoulder surgery. “What you went thru has a purpose. So does your life. Focus on your life’s purpose and you will get thru this trying time,” Morant wrote alongside a picture of him giving a peace sign in a hospital bed. Moran’t surgery was reportedly successful and he can begin his recovery.

Morant was ruled out of the rest of the 2023/24 season after playing just nine games following a 25-game suspension. The team had gone 6-3, matching their win total in the 25 games they played without Morant. Morant’s injury only deepens the issues for the Grizzlies. At the start of the season, the team lost Steven Adams to season-ending surgery.

Read More: Lil Wayne Taps Ja Morant To Be The Next “Face Of The NBA”

Ja Morant Tells Grizzlies To “Keep Grinding”

Meanwhile, Morant told the team to “stay locked in and keep grinding” despite his injury. Morant’s words inspired the team to earn a gutsy win over the Mavericks in Morant’s first game on the sidelines. Morant was in attendance, watching from behind Memphis’ bench with his arm in a sling. However, Morant is expected to be ready to play at the start of the 2024/25 season. At the time of writing, the Grizzlies are 14-23 and are 13th in the Western Conference.

“Ja’s always going to be positive. He’s one of our brothers, and we love him to death. He’s a big part of this thing, whether he’s playing or not,” Desmond Bane told ESPN after the win over Dallas. “Everyone just feels for Ja. I mean, they know how much work he’s been putting in this season, obviously what he’s done since he’s come back just within the last couple of weeks. But these guys really care for each other and they really care for Ja, and obviously they know how much he cares for them and how he showed so much support even when he was out the first 25 games,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said.

Read More: Ja Morant Trolled Pelicans With New Orleans Dance, Not Gun Celebration

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Bradley Beal Set To Return To Suns Lineup

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Bradley Beal will return tonight from an ankle sprain that has him ruled out for the past two weeks. The news was first reported by Shams Charania. The game against the Hornets will only be Beal’s sixth of the season after he started his tenure in Phoenix with a lingering back injury. With high hopes of a Big Three powering the team to a championship, things have not panned out for the Suns. They are 15-15 and currently hold the 10th seed in the West. Furthermore, the “Big Three” has just played a single game together this season.

Beal made his Suns debut back in November. The Suns were in Chicago to face the Bulls looking to return to .500 after a rough start to the season. Beal played 24 minutes, putting up 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. However, Beal was completely absent for the necessary overtime period, as the team firmly stuck to their minutes plan for the veteran. “I can be hard-headed and go play 30 minutes when I know I’m not supposed to. But how will I feel after that? Probably not the greatest. So that’s why I lean on our staff and our doctors to be the voice for me. Because I’ll be hard-headed and go out there and play,” Beal said, respecting the decision to keep him benched.

Read More: Draymond Green Ejected After Hitting Suns Player In The Head

Ja Morant Trolls Pelicans With New Orleans Dance

Meanwhile, a fierce debate has emerged over whether Ja Morant pulled a “gun celebration” during a recent game against the Pelicans. However, Morant and his fans have defended his actions. Morant was not doing a gun celebration during the Grizzlies recent win over the Pelicans, they claim. Instead, they have said that Morant was doing the “Rock Ya Hips”, a regional dance move from New Orleans. Morant himself even copped to this on social media. The win lifted the Grizzlies to 4-0 since Morant rejoined the team last week.

The choice to do a New Orleans-based dance stems from Morant’s long-standing beef with the Pelicans. Morant takes every chance he can to take to troll the team after they passed on him to take Zion Williamson. Thanks to Williamson’s struggle with injury, Morant has been the better player since they were drafted.

Read More: GloRilla & Moneybagg Yo Attend Ja Morant’s Memphis Homecoming

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Aaron Rodgers Says He Might Be Returning From His Achilles Injury In “A Few Weeks:” Watch

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When Aaron Rodgers went down with his unfortunate achilles tear everyone thought that the New York Jets season was lost. Even after the highly maligned Zach Wilson stepped in and led them to a thrilling win over the division-rival Buffalo Bills, no one was convinced. However, the defense has been pretty much lights out and Zach has made some plays. This was good enough for them to go on a three-game winning streak. They did come back to earth against the Los Angeles Chargers last night, losing 27-6 and dropping to 4-4.

But, the season is still far from over for these Jets. They are in the thick of the playoff race. They are just a few spots behind the Cincinnati Bengals for the final wildcard spot. On top of that, multiple people have claimed that if they remain in the hunt, Rodgers would try to rush back and play. It would be quite a miracle, though. TMZ Sports says that the fastest anyone has recovered from an achilles tear was Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers. That took around five and a half months. But, Aaaron has been making serious progress and apparently, it could be in no time that we see him take the field.

Read More: Adin Ross Pays $200K For Unreleased Kanye West & Travis Scott Song, Allegedly Gets Scammed Instead

Aaron Rodgers Teases A Possible Comeback

Right after the game, the players ran to centerfield to chat. Two of those were Aaron and Chargers stud safety, Derwin James. He asked the injured quarterback when he would be coming back right away. Interestingly, Aaron had this to say to him, “Give me a few weeks.” With the cameras rolling this could all be a ruse, but with his recovery process maybe he is telling the truth.

What are your initial thoughts on Aaron Rodgers saying he might be returning to action in “a few weeks?” Do you believe him, or was he just being aware that the cameras were on him? If he comes back, will the New York Jets be a threat in the playoffs? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Aaron Rodgers, as well as everything else going on around the sports world.

Read More: Adin Ross Makes Sexual Remarks About LeBron James While On Stream At Lakers Game

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Ben Simmons Not Rushing His Return, According To Nets GM

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Summertime is when NBA players are looking to get their bodies completely right for the start of the season in October. However, for Ben Simmons, it’s been multiple years of mental and physical health problems, which makes every injury update pivotal. The most recent news is “Simmons isn’t yet playing 5-on-5, not going to rush his return,” according to Stefan Bondy on Twitter. Adding onto this report, Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks let Bondy and New York Post reporter Brian Lewis that”He’s not doing 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 yet. I was down there two weeks ago [with] him [and] training staff and saw the progress.”

Back in early June, Ben Simmons announced he was back on the court, working on individual drills. However, the progress is slow as he returns from a nerve impingement in his lower back. Of course, there are also the mental health issues surrounding the pressure he’d felt back when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers. Some reporters and pundits have questioned his commitment to basketball, but Sean Marks has a note on that as well: “Happy to report he’s in great physical shape [and] also mentally. He’s rearing and champing at the bit to get out there.”

Read more: Ben Simmons Could Reportedly Be Part Of Damian Lillard Trade

Ben Simmons Is Reportedly A Trade Chip

Sean Marks could be blowing smoke into the air with this Ben Simmons non-update. While Simmons isn’t playing with any true competition, it’s important for the Nets to continue to showcase him as a valuable asset with plenty of potential. As HotNewHipHop reported last week, he could be available for trade as part of a package to land Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. Even though he has not played since February 15th, his hefty contract and youth could be exactly what Portland is looking for in return for their franchise superstar, along with a ton of draft picks.

In the meantime, Ben Simmons will continue his snail-pace rehab. Back impingements are serious pain issues that can only be remedied with rest and other gentle treatments like applying heat to the area. Hopefully, he can get back to competitive gameplay for the start of the NBA season. He was acquired by the Nets two seasons ago, in early 2022, in exchange for James Harden to go to the 76ers. Brooklyn also received Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two future unprotected first-round picks. (The 76ers also got Paul Millsap in the trade.)

Read more: Draymond Green Reveals What Is Holding Back Ben Simmons

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Lonzo Ball Gets Tough Injury Update

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Lonzo Ball hasn’t seen an NBA court since January 2022. During a career year for the 2017 second-overall pick, he went down with a meniscus tear in his left knee. The injury needed surgery and Ball was ruled out of the 2022-23 season.

Ball’s career has been largely defined by injury. He missed almost half of his sophomore season after undergoing surgery to fix the same injury that ruled him out of the most recent NBA season. Partially as a result of this, Ball is on his third NBA team despite only being drafted in 2017.

The Bulls are currently in a state of flux, having made the playoffs just twice in the last eight seasons. Furthermore, the team has been unable to stay consistent. They regressed six games in terms of wins in 2022/23 compared to the season prior. Now, they will have to play without Ball for at least another season.

Related: Bulls float Zach LaVine trade

No Ball For The Bulls In 2023/24

Per the Bulls’ VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas, Lonzo Ball will not be playing next season. “Our expectation is that he’s not coming back next season,” Karnisovas said following Thursday’s NBA draft. “He’s going to continue on his recovery. If he comes back, it would be great. But we’re just going to treat this offseason and get ready for the season that he’s not going to be back.”

Ball’s rehabilitation has reportedly been “incremental” since sustaining the injury in January 2022. However, the team noted that his most recent surgery has given Ball the best chance to resume his NBA career at some point in the future. Karnisovas further noted that Ball had recently begun to walk without crutches.

However, this progress will be of little comfort to Bulls fans, who are preparing themselves for another rough season. Beyond Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls had just one player who averaged more than 15 points per game last season. Furthermore, this comes at a time when the Eastern Conference continues to grow more competitive. In the recent 2023 NBA Draft, the Bulls made just one selection – taking Tennessee’s Julian Phillips in the second round.

Related: Bronny James to wear #6 jersey USC in tribute to LeBron

Other Players Seek To Make Injury Bounce Backs

However, there is better news in regard to injuries for a number of other players in the basketball landscape. Khris Middleton, who was limited to 33 games last season, is hoping for a full bounce-back season. Furthermore, Middleton recently declined his $40 million player option to test free agency, though re-signing with the Bucks remains an option.

Further south, the Pelicans will be hoping to get a full season out of Zion Williamson. Williamson, the first-overall pick in 2019, has played just 29 games over the last two seasons. While he appears to be staying in New Orleans for the time being, his future with the team could very much depend on whether he stays healthy enough to contribute.

Elsewhere, there’s good news for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. Head coach Geno Auriemma has announced that he expects Paige Bueckers to be ready for the start of the season. Bueckers, who won National Player of the Year as a freshman, has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons. After playing 17 games as a sophomore, Bueckers missed the entire 2022-23 season with an ACL tear.

Related: Atlanta Hawks reportedly pursuing Pascal Siakam

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Ben Simmons Confident About Bounce Back Next Season

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Ben Simmons crashed out of the 2022/23 NBA season on March 28. The Australian guard had struggled with nerve inflammation for most of the month, as well as dealing with a number of other injuries over the course of the season. The Nets, cautious about injuring Simmons further, opted to shut him down for the season as opposed to rushing him back for the playoffs.

The season, Simmons’ first with the Nets, saw him play in just 42 games. He averaged just 6.9 points per game and saw other dropoffs across the board. It was far from the start of his post-Sixers career that Simmons was likely hoping for. However, Simmons is remaining optimistic, and recent comments have outlined where his mentality is at regarding next season. Simmons is owed $78.2 million over the next two seasons, according to his current contract.

Simmons Eyes World Cup And Bounce Back NBA Season

Ben simmons playing for the Brooklyn Nets
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 25: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

“Ben has been cleared to progress to his next stage of his rehab and is progressing really well,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told The New York Post‘s Brian Lewis Wednesday. “And we remain very excited about his ability to return to form next year.” That next step appeared to be open-court practice, as Simmons posted to his Instagram story from a gym in Miami. Furthermore, the news indicates that unlike the Nets had feared, Simmons will not have to undergo further surgery, be it for his knee or back.

Additionally, Simmons is looking to get back to the court before the start of the next NBA season. In particular, the guard is eyeing the chance to represent Australia at the FIBA World Cup. This year’s World Cup, the second to feature 32 teams, is set to be co-hosted by Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. Starting on August 25, the training camp for the Australian National Team begins on August 1. Simmons made his national debut in 2013 but has withdrawn from all subsequent national team call-ups. Australia face Germany, Finland, and Japan in the group stage. How do you feel about the Ben Simmons situation? Let us know in the comments. Be sure to follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Embiid Likely Out For Game 1 Versus Celtics

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MVP front-runner Joel Embiid has been the beating heart of the Sixers all season. However, he was limited to just three games in the Sixers’ four-game sweep of the Nets. The center reportedly suffered an LCL sprain in his right knee, ruling him out of the series-sealing Game 4.

Elsewhere, after postponing a Janet Jackson concert, the Boston Celtics prevailed 4-2 over the Atlanta Hawks. That sets up a second-round meeting between the Celtics and Sixers. No fan needs to be told just how much these two teams hate each other. But Sixers might want to stop reading as Doc Rivers have given an update about Embiid…

Rivers Wouldn’t Bet On Embiid Playing on Monday

“There is no latest,” head coach Doc Rivers said in his media availability on April 29. “Obviously, the doctors looked at him, and he didn’t do anything today. I’ll say this, but if I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1. But we’ll see.” That is far from the news that Sixers fans wanted to hear about their star. A healthy Embiid would be vital to overcoming the Celtics, who finished ahead of the Sixers in the regular season. When asked when Embiid might be ready to play, Rivers had a similar dry response. “He has to get better,” was the simple response.

If Embiid does miss Game 1, bench center Paul Reed will likely join the starting five. “I keep the same mental preparation and physical preparation as I would even if he was playing,” Reed said. “I won’t change up what I’m doing any differently. I keep the same mental focus.” Reed had a double-double when starting in place of Embiid for Game 4 against the Nets. “It does a lot for my confidence knowing I can step in and play valuable minutes for the team and give us a boost that we needed in order to close out that series,” Reed continued. “So now I feel I can go into the next series and give us another boost. If Joel is not playing, I’m confident I can come in and give us a lot of energy and help us win.”

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Ty Dolla $ign Shares Scary Video Of Skateboarding Accident That Hospitalized Him

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When it comes to new music, Ty Dolla $ign has had a relatively quiet year.

However, at this point in his career, the L.A. native doesn’t need to drop music at an alarming rate to stay relevant. He’s already solidified himself as a mainstay in the pop/R&B landscape and is at his best when collaborating with various other artists.

Ty Dolla $ign attends the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for MRC)

Late last month, the “Or Nah” singer shared a shocking photo of himself in a hospital bed while providing no context to his injuries. Of course, fans and fellow artists were alarmed by the cryptic post.

The following day, however, he explained the situation through an Instagram Story. “They just let me out. Had a skating accident and was knocked out for a few but I’m back praise God[.] Thanks to everyone that prayed for me and showed love. I love you more,” he wrote.

“Thanks @dashawnjordan, @bolajibam for holding it down and getting me to the ER and my princess @jailynncrystal for being there with me the whole time[.] I love you so much,” the 40-year-old continued in his message.

Just yesterday, the “Or Nah” singer took to his Instagram account to this time, share footage of the scary incident that left him hospitalized. The video shows a horrific scene in which Dolla $ign hits his head off the pavement without wearing a helmet.

“Just watching this sh*t gave me a headache again[.] Happy holidays everyone and keep pushing your friends to the next level. Never give up. I’ll be back at the park once the doctor says I’m good and I’ll [wear] a helmet next time I promise. know I know even Tony [Hawk wears] a helmet,” the caption reads.

Later in the clip, it shows him performing on stage allegedly five hours after he was in the hospital.

It’s certainly good news that the 40-year-old has recovered and provided us with the update.

One of the most note-worthy of only a few releases that Dolla $ign was part of this year was his collab track with Kid Cudi, “Willing To Trust.” The song serves as a single to Cudi’s Entergalactic album and accompanies the “Mr. Rager” artist’s animated Netflix series of the same name.

As always, make sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest updates. Additionally, make sure to check out our newest annual Christmas playlist here.

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