Published 14:58 IST, December 16th 2020
What happened to Keyontae Johnson? Gators star's exact condition after collapsing on court
What happened to Keyontae Johnson? The Gators star is breathing on his own amidst being in coma as the team has a tough task to focus next on Saturday's game.
In a terrifying incident on Sunday, University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court midway through the game against the Seminoles. The 21-year-old was celebrating from the sidelines when he walked onto the court midway through the timeout before collapsing on the pitch. Here's a look at an update on the Keyontae Johnson condition and his recovery so far.
What happened to Keyontae Johnson? Keyontae Johnson collapses midway through college basketball game
Keyontae Johnson is one of the stars in College Basketball and put the NBA on hold for a big junior season at Flordia. The 21-year-old averaged 14.0 points and 7.1 boards per game last season and was named SEC Preseason Player of the Year. Just before his collapse, Johnson had successfully finished an alley-oop and was celebrating the move from the sidelines.
The team celebrated the move in a huddle during the timeout and everyone broke off and walked towards the centre of the court where he collapsed hard. The 21-year-old was diagnosed with COVID-19 in the summer and made full recovery. However, one of the side effects was myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle. However, it remains unclear what caused the collapse.
Keyontae Johnson update: Gators star breathing on his own after coma
According to CNN, Keyontae Johnson is breathing on his own and had a talk with his family. In a Tuesday statement, Nika and Marrecus Johnson revealed that their son made a FaceTime call with his teammates. The 21-year-old was rushed to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on a stretcher after his collapse and was in a stable but critical condition. According to a statement by Florida Gators, Keyontae's parents travelled to Tallahassee on Sunday, where they were accompanied by head coach Mike White and associate athletic director Dave Werner.
Due to the circumstances surrounding Johnson, the Gators announced on Tuesday that an agreement was reached with the University of North Florida Ospreys to postpone Wednesday's scheduled basketball game. The game will not be made up for this season, and the Gators will next face off against Florida Atlantic on Saturday at home. While the game is on schedule, a decision on whether to play it or not is set to be taken later this week.
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(Image Courtesy: AP)
Updated 14:58 IST, December 16th 2020