Commentary: Injuries are real consequences for "Super-Athletes"

In the spectrum of sports, especially in this modern era, we tend to spoil ourselves. We tend to believe that athletes are these super humans that have the capability of doing, achieving, and risking everything without consequences. Unfortunately, there are consequences and injuries happen to be the ones that keep us all in check; things that we do not want to necessarily foresee.

As avid fans of sports, we tend to get carried away. It is perfectly normal to be amazed and want more from athletes when they soar above the rim and manage to do tremendously difficult maneuvers in mid-air, for them to use their seemingly effortless stealth to get up and down the court. It is easy for these kind of athletes to receive instant praise and attention,but it is also easy to get hurt.

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I am not saying that dunking and acrobatic lay-ups and hard drives to the basket all lead to injuries but no one can ignore the increased possibilities of trying to attempt these maneuvers. It is funny how I am saying this given the fact that I am supposed to part of this new generation of sports fanatics that love the run and gun; quick-paced offensive force that has taken over the NBA as of late, but in all honesty, I am a fan of the "slow-it-down-and-run-some-offense" era of professional basketball. Because of this, I find it quite easy to compare the stars of the past and the new talents destined for success.

Given the way athletes have played in the past, many have been able to become valuable veterans who have stuck around the Association for quite some time; stars like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan who have played through two-three different decades of basketball without major injuries until late in their careers, are testaments of this older era.

Now with this being said, think about the hike in injuries as of late. Franchise leaders like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook have dealt with their fair share of injuries early on in their illustrious careers. All that I am saying is that we, as fans, must have a better understanding of these consequences and not hold these athletes in such a high account for their skills. When Rose returns next season, I hope that nobody complains if he errs in the side of caution and slows down his game a bit. As much as he would love to please the fans with the same bounce, lets face it, we have seen the dangers of Rose playing too quickly.

And then their are the times where things just happen. Injuries like Paul George's and Kevin Ware's occur and it is horrible. They are reminders that anything can happen at any given time when playing a sport as active as basketball; it is a reminder that these athletes, these poster-boys are human too and their bodies are constantly at risk when they are performing out there. With all of this considered, I believe that we must be much more conscious of what athletes are actually capable of doing when they give all their energy and effort that they can to possibly win.

When we see that an athlete has slowed down a bit and may not drive as hard to the basket, lets not respond with an "ah-man" but rather recognize that athlete's wise decision to care for his or her body. Let us praise the individuals will power to return from those injuries and pray for those in recovery.

Let us not be selfish and care solely for the franchise and season, lets take the time to think and encourage athletes to keep making progress in their recovery, and when the do come back, lets cheer as loud as we possibly could.

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Injuries are a force of nature that, for the most part, are uncontrollable so it is important to be considerate when an athlete may refuse to play with the "super" hops they once had.

Vince Carter, the former 2000 dunk contest winner has not shown his athleticism for years and because of it, his popularity did take a dip. However, his care and caution following his knee injury has allowed him to stretch out his career as an effective back-up forward.

Nevertheless, lets stay open-minded guys and not hold players to such high regard, that way they may not feel over-pressured by the expectations, after all basketball is a game where anything can really happen.