Shaun Livingston: From Near-Amputee to Champion

Screams echoed through the Staples Center in the first quarter of a February 2007 matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Charlotte Bobcats. They weren’t screams of joy from the fans or anger from a coach. It was pain. And it came from a writhing Shaun Livingston.

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The play itself seemed routine. Livingston was running the break on the left side of the court, he slowed down to let the defender fly by, and he leapt to put in the finger roll. Without landing on anything, Livingston’s knee gave out. I’m not even sure “gave out” is the right phrase; his knee exploded.

It was one of the ugliest injuries in sports history and it was actually worse than how it looked. The career of a promising third year point guard was in jeopardy. Livingston’s body went in one direction while his knee went in the other. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that each part of his knee went in different directions. It was truly gruesome. It wasn’t even an issue of basketball anymore, there were concerns over Livingston’s well-being. It looked like Livingston might not walk again, let alone step on an NBA court.

Warning: The video below contains graphic imagery.

The Clippers’ team physician, Dr. Steven Shimoyama, said “his knee was deformed, almost like a pretzel.” Livingston tore is ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus while also dislocating his knee. I had never even heard of a PCL so a PCL tear was (and still is) shocking to me. It wasn’t good. I included the video above, but don’t watch it if you’re squeamish as it is gut-wrenching.

In the hospital, the doctors had to take blood tests in order to determine if an artery had burst, then he was at risk of having gangrene. If that was the case, then they would have had to amputate his leg.

Shaun Livingston has come a long way–enduring the uncertainty of whether or not he’ll have a leg to enjoying basketball immortality as a champion.

Fortunately, Livingston kept his leg, but the mountain that stood in front of him was daunting. How many 21 year olds recover from such a setback? If the point guard had just rehabbed and regained strength in his leg, then it would have been a success. But he wasn’t content with that. Livingston worked his way back into NBA shape.

It wasn’t easy. Even after he got back into shape, his journey was still just beginning. He bounced around from team to team trying to find a role and his identity at the same time. Coming into the league, Livingston’s skill set was raw, but exciting. A 6’7 point guard with speed, explosiveness, and great court vision. He didn’t have much of a jumper, but he was talented. His physical gifts were reduced and Livingston was forced to improve on the mental side of the game if he wanted to keep playing.

He didn’t have much luck until last year when he truly blossomed as a Brooklyn Net. He played a career high 76 games and started a career high 54 games. Deron Williams struggled to stay on the court so it was Livingston who helped keep the Nets afloat. Assuming a much larger role than he had since his days as Clipper, he helped lead them to the playoffs finishing with regular season averages of 8.3 points and 3.2 assists per game.

At times, he looked slow throughout the year, but Livingston provided a solid veteran presence for the second unit. He took advantage of his height at his position and effectively posted up smaller guards making his turnaround midrange jumper a reliable option. He was a part of the Warriors’ better defensive units becoming a screen-switching monster.

Livingston didn’t have a great 2014-15 playoff run, but he came up big at times. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, he scored 18 point and added 7 rebounds off the bench. As an extra ball handler, he gave the Warriors’ the flexibility to run other playmakers and scorers off screens. Aside from on-court production, Livingston used 10 years of experience to help steady the young Warriors ship when it started to deviate from it’s course.

Every player in the NBA has had to overcome some hardship or struggle. Everyone goes through injuries. The champion Warriors are full of high-quality individuals who sacrificed a lot for the ultimate goal. But Shaun Livingston’s story of perseverance stands out. It’s impossible to not be happy for this man. Shaun Livingston has come a long way–enduring the uncertainty of whether or not he’ll have a leg to enjoying basketball immortality as a champion. He transformed his game, adapting to his new physical abilities while keeping his mind strong. He also transformed his hairstyle for the better, but that’s for another time. Livingston is the definition of a Warrior.

Congratulations, Shaun. Your willpower is an inspiration. You earned this. You deserve this. Enjoy it.