Days of Monta Ellis: Needless Offseason Injuries a Growing Trend

It’s starting to look increasingly likely that Monta Ellis’ severe ankle injury may not have happened exactly the way he described it to the Warriors.  Recent reports indicate that the nature of the injury is not what you would typically see from someone who had just turned an ankle while playing basketball. Additionally, a number of “cuts and abrasions” observed on Ellis have raised questions as to what might have really happened.

Having observed nothing first hand, I can only take a guess, but it seems likely to me that he probably got injured either on a motorcycle or ATV. It sounds all too familiar. 

There have been several high-profile players in recent years that have sustained serious injuries on motorcycles or participating in other activities that violate the terms of their contracts.  This opens them up to serious financial penalties—giving them very good reasons to not be forthcoming about the nature of the injury.

Here are a few players who have suffered similar fates:

Jay Williams

Suffered life threatening injuries wrapping his motorcycle around a pole in 2003, essentially ending his playing career.  The Bulls could have refused to pay Williams, but ultimately offered him a $3 million buyout for reasons I have never understood.

Kellen Winslow

After breaking his leg and losing almost his entire rookie season, Winslow then lost his entire second NFL season when he blew out his ACL after hitting a curb in a parking lot on his motorcycle.  It was widely suspected that the Browns would attempt to recoup a portion of his $6 million signing bonus, but ultimately passed.

Jeff Kent

Broke his wrist performing wheelies on his motorcycle, after initially claiming to have fallen while washing his pickup truck. Unfortunately for Kent, there were multiple witnesses to his crash on a busy street in Phoenix, which did him in.

Vladimir Radmanovic

Told the Lakers he slipped on ice while carrying some coffee, but actually separated his shoulder while snowboarding during the All-Star break in 2007.  The Lakers fined Radmanovic $500,000—or almost 10 percent of his salary—for violating the terms of his contract.

It will be interesting to see how the Monte Ellis soap opera plays out.

Image Source: NBA