The Conversation - Fascinating feet of NBA players

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My hometown Boston Celtics are among the favorites to win the NBA title – and they’re off to a great start in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. But according to many analysts, their title chances hinge on the health of their big man, Robert Williams III.

Williams is an excellent defender and one of the league’s best shot blockers. And yet throughout his brief career, Williams has struggled to stay on the court. His injury history over the past couple of seasons sounds like a remix of the kids’ song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” It goes something like this: “Knee, Knee, Hamstring, Ankle, Ankle, Ankle, Knee, Calf and Toe.”

Philip Anloague, a University of Dayton physical therapy scholar, explains why all of that jumping, sprinting, stopping and starting wreaks havoc on the knees and feet – particularly those of the biggest and tallest NBA players.

“The foot’s 26 bones are intricately linked together with a series of 33 joints and bound together by soft tissues like muscles, tendons and ligaments,” he writes. “If this structure is not sound, the entire process can break down.”

Since today is Earth Day, we encourage you to revisit this short piece from our archive on whether Earth can recover from the damage humanity has caused. We also recommend our new articles about Tennessee’s Confederate History Month declaration, “stand your ground” laws that protect shooters from prosecution, and educators who use hip-hop as a teaching tool.

Nick Lehr

Arts + Culture Editor

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III falls to the court after suffering a toe injury during a playoff game in May 2021. Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

Keeping NBA players on the court is no small ‘feet’

Philip Anloague, University of Dayton

The gargantuan feet of NBA players are the stuff of legend. But nearly two-thirds of their injuries occur below the waist, and they have a 25.8% chance of incurring an ankle injury every season.

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Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:

Fox News will pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle their libel lawsuit. The network said that the settlement reflected what?
1. A. "The cost of doing business in Joe Biden's America"
2. B. "Our very real sorrow for an unfortunate but honest error"
3. C. "Fox's continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards"
4. D. "The greatness of the American way of litigation"
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The Conversation - Fascinating feet of NBA players

Keeping NBA players on the court is no small ‘feet’

The Supreme Court rules mifepristone can remain available – here’s how 2 conflicting federal court decisions led to this point

‘Stand your ground’ laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence – a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed

White Tennessee lawmakers speak out for insurrection in honoring Confederate history

How hip-hop has enhanced American education over the past 50 years, from rec rooms to classrooms

Watch out for dangerous combinations of over-the-counter cold medicine and prescription drugs – two pharmacoepidemiology experts explain the risks

Allergy season is getting more intense with climate change – we’re creating better pollen forecasts to help

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Donald Trump and the dying art of the courtroom sketch

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AI has social consequences, but who pays the price? Tech companies’ problem with ‘ethical debt’

The Conversation Quiz 🧠

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

More of The Conversation

About The Conversation

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