Pistons’ Jaden Ivey leaves court on stretcher with potential serious leg injury

Jaden Ivey was leading Detroit this past Wednesday night with 22 points and 4 assists on 8-of-11 shots sunk from the field, until he had to be stretchered off the floor after he suffered what seems to be a serious leg injury. The third-year guard had been thriving since he returned from a two-game absence due to knee soreness. 

The Pistons star fell to the floor early in the fourth quarter, after colliding with Magic guard Cole Anthony. His teammate Cade Cunningham first missed a shot from beyond the arc, and both Ivey and the Orlando guard chased after the rebound, but Jaden’s leg got trapped under his rival’s body, while his knee seemed bent in an awkward position.

“It’s tough. It’s tough on all of us,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the match in which his team won 105-96. “No better teammate, person than J.I. No one who cares more about this thing than him. It’s tough to see.”

Jaden Ivey left game in stretcher after apparent leg injury. Hope he's ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/tBiVOScskm

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 2, 2025

Once the game was over, the Detroit tactician wasn’t able to provide an update on his pupil’s status. However, the way the 22-year-old crashed into the floor and screamed while being attended by his medical staff, indicates that the injury must not be taken lightly.

Once he was stabilized by his squad’s personnel, he was loaded unto a stretcher and wheeled off the court, while an emotional Anthony watched next to players and coaches from both teams. The Orlando star knew he could’ve even avoided crashing into Jaden the way he did.

“At the heart of this team, and what we’ve tried to preach all year since we’ve been here is togetherness,” Bickerstaff said about winning without Ivey. “If one guy goes down, you don’t want to let that guy down, so everybody else has to step up. Again, it’s the emotions, it’s the human aspect of it, but I thought our guys did a really good job of just sticking together and getting it done.”

The third-year player has already played in 30 games this campaign, averaging 17. 6 points on 46% shooting from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc, plus  4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists, over 29.9 minutes played per contest.