The NBA Player Without ACLs in His Knees 

Ever since I tore my ACL in second grade and went 8 years without one, I always pointed to Dejuan Blair as an example of an NBA player who had successful career without them. True hero for sticking to his PT

This happening to him in high school makes it even more interesting considering how good he was at Pitt and being very solid in the NBA.

Hey, doc! I’m a huge fan of your work! I’m a physical therapist in San Antonio and I tell this story to my patients ALL THE TIME! Many Spurs fans would see him around town and still remember his name. He was such a great example of someone who was able to excel in his craft (one of the leading rebounders in the NBA at the time) with the anatomical anomaly of being without ACLs in either of his knees! And this is also why he fell to the second round in the draft for the Spurs to scoop him up! Thank you for highlighting this story. And keep up the great work!

Pausing the video at 0:34 to note that I remember listening to the NBA Draft the night the Spurs selected Blair in the 2nd round. The reaction of some Spurs fans afterward led to an impromptu lesson in anatomy, where the other ligaments of the knee were explained and it was suggested that Blair was strong enough to function without the ACL since the other three were healthy. It was ironic he ended up on the Dallas roster after not being able to manage his weight (allegedly). Fast food can be a hell of a drug.

Watching these always makes my knees feel weird

They attempted a Thermal Tightening on my ACL around 2001 - while the procedure had only become common in the prior year! To this day my Doc still apologizes for having "fallen for the good EARLY results". Mine held for about 9-10 months. As my Doctor said "We didn't think about the fact that 'burning' the ACL back together created Scar Tissue and you don't wareally want a scar in the middle of something that needs to be very flexible!" I opted against the "Full Reconstruction" and today he states he can barely tell I have an ACL issue at all! It was key for me to strengthen ALL the Muscles in my Leg and I can still play athletic sports quite competitively- at the pickup level. After a bout with Septic Arthritis in the Knee it was a good 8 months before I was able to walk normal or jog and I was right back to a 2+ rating with my ACL. It took another year and rehab to get back to - can barely tell! The LEVEL of work he must've put in to play at the level he did is a credit to his drive and desire!

Fantastic lesson about the ACL. Thank you Dr. Brian!!

Doc, I've literally been waiting for this exact video since you posted your first video!!! Thank you!

Tore my ACL playing football, age 15 non contact, running wide, planting right foot and cutting back against the grain, long cleats, heel planted, lots of torque, SNAP. Small town orthopod, back in the day, did the surgery, removed cartalidge couldn't repair ACL. Played QB at time. Lost scholarship opportunities. Switched to wide receiver, cut down my heel cleats, forced myself to never plant my heel, stay on my toes. So, without an ACL in my right knee, played small college FB, led the Pacific Football League in receiving, went to training camp with the Bears (did not make it). That injury led me to religiously and vigorously attack the gym in an effort to keep the quads and hamstrings superhuman strong as they are the support, without an ACL, that stabalizes my knee. "Never skip a leg day" at the gym has become my motto and has been a life long blessing as I can still run and "kind of jump" today. Though had I to do it all over again, I would have instead, stuck with baseball...!!!!!

A fascinating subject... Thanks, Dr...

Love your videos first off! Secondly, thanks for reminding me to keep working on my hamstrings! I’m almost 3 years post-surgery on my second ACL tear. I tore my first one when I was in high school and the PT place I went to got me back to 90-95% back to where I used to be, back then. And now I’m still playing basketball in my free time and playing full court 5v5 games again! I feel about 80-90% back to where I used to be back in high school before any injuries! But I will definitely do a lot of plyometrics and continue to work on those muscles that support my new ligaments until the day that I die lol. Btw, if anyone was wondering I got reconstructive surgery on both ACLs.

you came through with the video doc!! 🙏🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Its been a minute. Good to see you again!

Wizards fan here, Blair was one of my favorite players on the Wizards when he was there just for this reason, always blew my mind how this was possible.

Came accross this video while looking for exercises to help with my ACL injury and I have to say I learned more from that model of the knee at the start of this video than anywhere else

Hi guys, completly torn left ACL case with both meniscus damaged, Have had no surgery after the accident. I have been riding bmx for more than 10 years so had a good leg strength to start off. It took about a month for me from accident to start walking. As soon as i could walk i went back to comute to work in the bike with a regular compression band so i could avoid impacts when walking. Cycling then helped me a lot to slowly build up mobility again. I lost a big part of my leg muscle volume (quads were quite noticeable). As soon as i could ride hard again, like jumping, etc, bought a DonJoy Armor knee brace so when i was out there in the wild i was reducing any chance of giving up when taking my foot off like in the tight berms and harsh plantings of the foots. Came back to bmx racing (i train and compete at the amateur level x5 times a week) and started riding at the same level i was before after 4 months of the accident. During the past year then, i've been working out at the same level as the other guys. Strenghtening legs (since in our sport we need pretty strong and snappy legs) by means of lots of deadlifts, cleans, squats and other exercises and we lift heavy. I am now at the point that when i consciously use all muscles of the legs my knee is as strong and stable as the right healthy one, even jumping. I go on rocky Hikes and jump from big rocks with random changes in direction and that helps a lot aswell. I have had no knee pain ever since the accident, even when cold. Only time my knee has given up (two times in 1,5 years) is in situations where i made the movement a bit too relaxed. When those happened, only got a bit of "little giving up - snap back" events (quite painful at the moment) but with no swelling. Usually takes a couple of days (about 3) of being bruised with a little loss of range of motion. And after that it goes all back to normal and i feel both knees at the same level of stability + strength. So even tho it's hard at the beginning, if any of you run into this unfortunate journey. There's hope if you work for it and you're thoughtful about it. Cycling, Hiking in really rough trails, strength training in the gym, good hydration and of course eating healthy. If you have any doubts i will gladly help you out with what i've learned. Wish you all a great day

Great video. I’ve had a long history of knee issues including ACL reconstruction in both knees. I’ve taken up training specifically tailored towards strengthening and stabilizing the knee joint, and it makes a huge difference in my athletic performance. I’m glad you highlighted the importance and role of the hamstring muscles in stabilizing the knee since that is the focal point of the training I have been doing. Keep up the great work!

Thank you Doc for explaining this one. Was definitely curious as to how he was able to play at the highest level..

Brian will talk so calmly while showing the most gruesome ACL tear videos 😭😭😭😭 makes me giggle every time

Having gone through a bad ACL rupture and reconstruction, and living without an ACL for a year before my operation; Hearing about pro athletes competing without any literally makes me shudder and want to vomit! Amazing that they can though, great vid as always Dr

Hi Doc. For the less biologically or medically inclined, it would be interesting to see a video on the differences between ligaments and tendons both in terms of biomechanics but also the most common injuries that are based on them.

Have you ever heard of PJ Dozier and his story? Very similar story, but from the guard position. He was a 4-5 star recruit in high school and had a cup of coffee in the NBA.

In the most fortunate of cases I've read that scar tissue can form in such a way that it plays a significant but lesser role stabilizing the post-acl joint (the hamstring&other muscles still being primary compensators). This was a great upload...such a crazy case

I tore mine in football and a fractured knee no surgery both knees and I still play and I watch the way I play

I was 17 (f) when I blew my ACL. The surgeon put my ACL where a man's ACL would sit. I never recovered my gate and lost all my scholarships. Took another surgeon 2 yrs later to fix it.

Dr. Sutterer - Are you sure that the hamstrings “don’t have as much of a rotational component” as the ACL in terms of stabilization? Since the SM & ST insert medially and the BFLH & BFSH insert laterally, that should provide some level of rotational stabilization. Or did you mean that the hamstrings don’t have as much of a rotational component relative to *their own* anterior/posterior translational component (of stabilization)?

Hello! Can you review Javier Hernandez’s knee injury please.

I had a failed ACL reconstruction in my teens. It apparently failed, but i never had any instability. I played basketball for years and then weight lifting and cycling. Eventually i needed a TKR at 40 years of age; my surgeon noted that my PCL was much larger than normal - can the PCL hypertrophy and take some of the load in an acl deficient knee?

You're a witcher🧹🪄. Respect

Wait what? I didn't even know that was possible. Could you still have mobility if you didn't have MCL's as well? This is so intriguing

I’m 4 years post op ACL surgery, I can say with confidence that this was the worst pain of my life especially when nerve block medication wore off the next day. I’d say I’m at 90% and as good as I’m gonna get.

Tore my acl in 08 and didn’t know til 2016. In between that time I was still playing basketball n running but knee was incredibly unstable. I couldn’t cut without falling down or my knee giving out. Once I found out I got reconstructive surgery but I was real close to having to have my knee replaced all together n I was only 34 at the time.

Would love a video about Tommy John surgery

I tore my acl and meniscus and eventually developed arthritis in that knee so much respect to these athletes 🙌🏾

Basketball seems bizarre to be able to do this but I always think back to the national championship wrestler that tore both his ACL’s. Some people are literally built different

i got injured last year in a basketball game i didnt get it checked except a cast for a bit but never got it scanned for anything more. should i get it scanned because a year later and i still feel like my right acl isnt going to be the same i can no longer jump as high or run the same speed i did before because it seems to have this weird feeling like a moving bone or something i wouldnt say its a bone but it aches when i move it sometimes

I'm curious as to the pain related to an ACL tear. Is there pain? I would assume so. Are there nerves attached or near by? Forgive my lack of knowledge but do ligaments and nerves relate? A video on this would be so helpful. Thank You!

How could you know if you’ve torn an acl? I’ve had some knee injuries, and this makes a lot of sense now.

Dope jersey! 🔥

I’m shocked you didn’t bring up Hines Ward on this video. Maybe already did a video on that or just didn’t know. If you happen to read this you should check into that if you haven’t

Ten years ago I was squatting like a catcher and all of a sudden, my knee felt hot and swollen. Next couple of weeks were the same. Today, I squat like a catcher and after about a minute, when I stand up, the inside of my knee hurts and I can’t straighten it until walk it off. After 15 seconds of walking around I’m back to normal. No pain or anything while walking, running or cycling. You think my ACL is damaged? Torn meniscus? When I stand up I feel pain like something is pinched

2:48 That's as clear as it gets. ouch man

Ive actually thought about that for about 12 years lol. Have partial tear. Time for hamstring exercises

A lot of these tears happen when planting with your heels. Shoes are the biggets cause of this because they help cushion that heel trike. If athlets had proper technique, they would land with the forefoot and have the foot and ankle take some of the stress of making sudden stops or cuts.

I just had my ACL graft removed after 8 surgeries and an infection. ROM was an issue due to continuous Arthrofibrosis formation. Hoping ill be able to play some sort of sport again one day if it isnt soccer

So what happens to the ACL inside his knee? It just dissolves and the body gets rid of it?

Can you do Frank gore because he had a hall of fame career without his ACL and he played football . He had like 2-3 oneee injuries in college

Not sure you know about Zlatan Ibrahimovic but he recently retired from his career in soccer and he said that he played without his ACL and had to get injections for his knee. Interesting to know how athletes can play without an ACL, sounds extremely painful

4 months post ACL surgery and it is tough!

Hi, I have a question Brian. I had acl surgery about 10 months ago, but I am still getting some fluid swelling in my knee. Is that normal 10 months post-surgery? My doctor said it is normal, Im just trying to get 2nd opinion that's all.

Knee injuries, specifically to the ACL, have derailed so many careers that were destined for the Hall of Fame. Penny Hardaway and Derrick Rose probably being the two most famous. But others like Brandon Roy (who also had other terrible injuries specifically to his miniscus) and Terrell Brandon were All Star/All NBA type players who are almost forgotten now because knee/ACL injuries greatly shortened their careers. Though some players came back from ACL injuries and still were amazing. Baron Davis for example rore his ACL before even making to the league and was still explosive and amazing all star. Too bad more didn't turn out like him.

At 5:42 for some reason the sound makes a loud static noise, which killed my ears since I was wearing headphones.

When choosing a doctor it's important to not only look at their physical abilities of the craft but also their bed side manners and their care and/or concern about the overall health and welfare of a patient. When dealing with anyone, especially a doctor, its important to determine whether they take their Hippocratic Oath seriously. It will give you great insight about their personal integrity, ethics, values and character. Please review this doctor's recent comments/tweets about Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and make a conscious informed decision about whether this is a person you trust to be giving you any advice about your physical or mental health.

Centers pivot a lot of times. Have you not seen some Hakeem highlights?

He was a bucket too... i remember him

5:41 freaked me out

Heavy

2023 And we still don't have an healing guarantee answer for a Ligament tear in the knee

I tore my right knee twice and going through my second one right now!

Can you add chapters to your videos?

I tore my right ACL and it was downhill from there

anyone else watch this and they felt their acls tearing for ten mins straight or am i just that queasy

Ive torn my ACL and mcl when i was in high school. Worst pain ever

You have to make another Lonzo Ball video!

Wow that’s shocking

The name of the beat please

Is that kd in the background

how does this relate to titans RB tyjae spears, who reportedly has no ACL in one of his knees?

Hines Ward didn’t have an ACL also

Bro will never be injured in his legs again🤷

Jameson Williams 😢

I've read and heard about ACL tears in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and this terrifies me.

Can’t tear what you don’t have 🤔

My left ACL might be gone, I'm scared to get it checked 100%, I just decided to lose weight and get some strength training for the surrounding muscles. I'm paranoid af 😂 I'm watching this video hoping for good news

me: huh, a guy can play basketball with only 3 ligaments in their knee?!? *clicks video* video: supercut of guys wrecking their knees me: NOPE out

Supposedly on repairing Dennis Smith Jr.'s ACL, doctors discovered that he had TWO.

Former Pitt star

Heinz Ward

Why did I think this would be about Derrick rose

Blair helped Pitt beat my Blue Devils and I’ve never forgiven him.ALTHOUGH, I was an adviser fan of him!!!!

Educated people sharing knowledge like you do makes the world a better place. I’ll treat my knees better lol

AI: Like Mike DRose: Like Blair 💀

I'm not an Alabama fan, but seeing that Jameson Williams injury makes me angry. Field Turf needs to be banned IMMEDIATELY from all college football fields. That awful surface derailed Blake Corum's chances at a Heisman, and as a Michigan fan, when he went down against Illinois I was furious Michigan changed from natural grass to turf 15 or so years ago. So many unnecessary knee injuries and almost all of them are non contact injuries where a players plants his foot and puts a ton of force on it while making a move. There is no, or almost none, give with the plastic blades and "turf" underneath. Whereas a chunk of grass would normally being displaced would normally give some cushion, turf just places all the force on those ligaments and the miniscus. It's got to be banned.

It just shows all should taking training their hips down very seriously. The average person doesn’t train their hamstring thats for sure.

knees just don’t looks playable unless Your in football and never get tackled. Going to see an increase in lacrosse even though it’s still like hockey, rowing, 3 pt and baseline athletes, and maybe men’s soccer because it’s a straight sport until you have the ball in box. Live this channel like how you compared joints

No ACL will be our next evolutions as humans holy cow

Who?

I have a jersey of this guy ..

That Klay ACL tear at the beginning of the video made me cringe

Next video pitcher's like r.a. dickey that had no ucl and still won a cy young award for my mets

This dude looks 60 and 20 at the same time

how do you strengthen the ACL?

Watching this makes my MCL that I tore hurt all over again 😖

John elway played with no acl in both knees. I got a friend without a acl since high school. It will ruin your life later never a smart decision

Dejuan Blair may not have had knees but his girl was gorgeous lol hopefully the married and happy

Yo

wowowow

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE DROSE INJURY MAN!!! STILL WAAAAAAAAAY TOO EARLY

He got herpes

Do animals have these sorts of muscle tears? If not why are humans so weak lol