Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering from a torn left ACL suffered in March 2019 during the NCAA Tournament. He finally returned to the court this season but is dealing with yet another injury in the same knee.
Okeke was diagnosed with a bone bruise in the same knee that is expected to sideline him for several weeks, according to one timeline. The Magic said an MRI showed all of his ligaments remained intact and that his return to play will be dependent on his response to treatment.
The 22-year-old said on Sunday that he has only been able to lift in the weight room. The news of the injury was initially tough on him but Okeke said he is committed to overcoming this obstacle.
“At first, it was tough,” Okeke said. “But then, once I knew it was just a bone bruise, it was kinda like, ‘Okay, at least it’s just that and now we’re just going to keep on working. It’s just another obstacle.'”
Okeke suffered the injury during the fourth quarter on Thursday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He appeared to tweak his knee on a spin play and was later seen hobbling off of the court back to the locker room. He said it was initially pretty painful but that later subsided walking back to the locker room.
The 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft has emerged as a valuable contributor for the Magic. He carved out a spot behind Aaron Gordon in the lineup and is often among the first players off the bench each game. Through five games, Okeke is averaging three points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.
Without Okeke in the lineup, the Magic turned to Gary Clark off the bench Saturday in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Okeke has given the team a strong defensive option off the bench while also managing to contribute offensively, as well.
The loss of Okeke could be a big hit to the Magic should his absence linger on for several weeks but he is committed to returning to the court stronger than ever.
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