After suffering a season-ending injury Friday night, New Orleans Pelicans superstar DeMarcus Cousins received an outpouring of support on social media—not only from countless Pelicans fans but also from his fellow NBA athletes. We’re talking Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Dwyane Wade, Gordon Hayward, and LeBron James, just to name a few.
Bryant tweeted words of encouragement for the All-Star center, wishing him well with his recovery and offering any future assistance. The retired Lakers legend can empathize with Cousins over his Achilles tear, as he suffered a similar injury to his left heel during the 2012-13 regular season.
Griffin echoed Bryant’s sentiment, while Wade, Devin Booker, and Karl-Anthony Towns sent out prayers.
Though the Pelicans defeated the Houston Rockets 115-113 Friday, the victory was overshadowed by Cousins’ non-contact left leg injury at the end of the fourth quarter. On Saturday, the Pelicans confirmed the reports that Cousins had torn his Achilles tendon:
“The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that center DeMarcus Cousins has been diagnosed with a rupture of the left Achilles tendon. Pelicans Director of Medical Services/Head Team Physician Dr. Misty Suri performed the initial examination and diagnosis,” the team announced Saturday. “An MRI taken last night confirmed the diagnosis as a left Achilles tendon rupture. Cousins will undergo surgery to repair the injury and will miss the remainder of the season. Further updates will be provided appropriately.”
