The halfcourt shot contest at Lakers games is among the most lucrative in all of the NBA, as fans can win considerable cash as part of the Lakers promo with MGM that pays more than $50,000 for a made 46-foot shot.
Unfortunately for a Lakers fan named Anthony on Sunday night, his effort at the $55,000 on the line became potentially catastrophic as he suffered an injury — one that, sadly, looks a lot like an Achilles — as he let go of his shot, hopped awkwardly inside the three-point line and fell down clutching his calf area. He would get up and try walking off on his own power, but needed some assistance and was not able to continue the promo to shoot the three-pointer after the halfcourt heave.
man just wrecked his ankle on the halfcourt shot at the Lakers game pic.twitter.com/Y3DVRfO4LH
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 20, 2023
This is truly my nightmare as someone who is getting older and sometimes forgets about that fact until I try to do something without warming up and my body says “no.” You would never think you would need to stretch or warm up for a halfcourt shot after being plucked out of the stands, right up until something like this happens. To suffer a potentially major injury on a halfcourt shot contest that should be a highlight of your year (or, at worst, a funny clip your friends will roast you with on a bad miss) is brutal and hopefully this looked worse than it really is for him.