Lakers' Anthony Davis Says Shoulder Injury 'No Concern' Moving Forward

Los Angeles Lakers fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Anthony Davis has no concern moving forward about the hurt shoulder he suffered after a mid-game collision with Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. on Sunday, according to Spectrum Sports Network's Mike Trudell.

The Lakers power forward fell to the court after colliding with Jackson Jr. with 1:15 left in the second quarter. He rose holding his right shoulder and could be seen saying, "I can't move my arm."

Davis returned for the second half. After the game, he said his arm was fine by the third quarter and called the injury a "stinger."

Despite the injury scare, Davis put up a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Lakers beat the Grizzlies 128-112 in Game 1 of the first round.

The result of an impact to nerves in the neck or shoulder, stingers cause symptoms which are generally very temporary, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

This news will come as a relief to Los Angeles fans, who watched injuries keep Davis and fellow Lakers star LeBron James out of the lineup for significant stretches of the regular season. Without Davis, the Lakers had a 12-14 record in 2022-23.

When Davis was on the court averaging 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, the Lakers went 31-25.

During the Lakers' last playoff run in 2021, Los Angeles held a 2-1 series lead against the Phoenix Suns heading into Game 4 of the first round—and then Davis exited the game early with a left groin strain. Davis did not return for the rest of the series, and the Suns won three straight to end the series in six.

This history shows why the Lakers need Davis if they're going to make it to their first second-round matchup since taking the title in 2020, and so did Game 1. The biggest obstacle Jackson Jr., who led the Grizzlies with 31 points, faced on Sunday was Davis' work guarding him.

While the Grizzlies wait to learn how severe Ja Morant's hand injury is, the Lakers will expect Davis to be ready for Game 2 on Wednesday.