The Golden State Warriors‘ hard-fought 137-131 overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night was overshadowed by a horrifying injury to rising star Moses Moody. With just 58.5 seconds remaining in the extra period, the 23-year-old guard suffered a serious knee injury that was witnessed by thousands inside the The American Airlines Center.
Moody stole the ball from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and streaked downcourt for what appeared to be an uncontested dunk.
However, as Moody planted his left leg to jump, his knee buckled and gave out, sending him crashing to the floor in immediate agony.
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The whole arena fell into a hushed silence as medical personnel stabilized Moody‘s leg and carted him off on a stretcher.
The following day, an MRI confirmed the worst-case scenario: a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee.
The injury ends a breakout fifth season for Moody, who had established himself as one of the few consistent bright spots for a Warriors team plagued by injuries.
They lost one of their key players when an ACL tear ended Jimmy Butler‘s season, while there are ongoing knee issues for Stephen Curry.
Before the setback, Moody was averaging career-best marks of 12.1 points per game while shooting a remarkable 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
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The devastating news prompted a swift response from across the basketball world, most notably from Fayetteville. Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari took to social media to offer Moody a familiar environment for his lengthy recovery process.
While Calipari did not coach Moody during his one-and-done 2020/21 season under Eric Musselman, he emphasized that the door to the Razorbacks‘ elite facilities is always open for the former SEC Freshman of the Year.
“Heard about Moses Moody injury last night,” Calipari wrote on X. “@mosesmoody you are always welcome to come back and rehab with us and use the facility. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery!”
Head coach Steve Kerr, who described the locker room as “horrified” following the game, praised Moody‘s work ethic and character.
He noted that the young guard had just returned from a 10-game absence due to a sprained wrist before the freak accident occurred.
Despite the nature of the injury, the Warriors organization expressed optimism that Moody‘s youth and the modern advancements in surgical repair will allow him to eventually resume his upward career trajectory.
