The crowd of spectators erupted in a collective gasp, then stood up in disbelief, hands covering their mouths or clutching their heads.
Among the nearly ten thousand fans watching this China-USA showdown, at least half were Chinese, and the other half, though Japanese, were also fans of He Xi Meng.
Within Asia, He Xi Meng was currently the undisputed number one superstar in the basketball world.
Therefore, when He Xi Meng collapsed in such a brutal fashion, the entire stadium cried out in shock and disbelief.
Any basketball fan knew that this time, He Xi Meng was not going to escape with a minor injury.
Lying on the ground, clutching his right Achilles tendon in pain, He Xi Meng's mind buzzed. A thought descended like a thunderbolt into his throbbing brain: "What was bound to happen has finally happened..."
A professional career without a major injury is an incomplete one.
He Xi Meng had always held a deep respect for injuries, and simultaneously, he had always been well-prepared mentally.
However, despite all his precautions, He Xi Meng never anticipated that he would fall not on the more intense NBA stage, but on the world championship stage.
But perhaps it was for the best; in a way, his professional career was now finally complete.
With this thought, He Xi Meng's emotions began to calm, and the pain on his face lessened.
Dwyane Wade, closest to He Xi Meng, immediately asked if he needed help.
He Xi Meng took a deep breath and calmly shook his head.
Following that, Old Hu, Da Zhi, and Ah Lian all rushed over to help He Xi Meng.
From the Dream VII team, nearby American players like LeBron James, Bowen, and Brad Miller, who had a good private relationship with He Xi Meng, also came over to offer condolences.
However, the referee also arrived promptly, dispersing the players from both teams to prevent them from crowding around.
At the same time, he asked He Xi Meng if he needed a doctor.
He Xi Meng ignored the referee for the moment. Once the sharp pain in his Achilles tendon began to numb, he struggled to turn his body, lying flat on the floor, facing the bright white stadium ceiling. He took deep breaths, his expression disturbingly calm.
The referee immediately ruled: He Xi Meng had hit his head when he fell!
So, he quickly called for emergency medical personnel to assess if He Xi Meng had sustained a serious concussion.
In response to the doctor's questions, He Xi Meng, having recovered his senses, shook his head and pointed to his now numb right leg, saying, "My head is fine. It's my Achilles tendon, it might be torn!"
The doctor was greatly alarmed. After a brief examination, they initially determined that the situation might be even worse than He Xi Meng anticipated. It wasn't a tear; it was highly likely a rupture.
He Xi Meng had intended to return to the locker room with the help of Da Zhi and Old Hu, but the Japanese doctor adamantly refused, immediately calling for an ambulance team and insisting on taking He Xi Meng to the locker room on a stretcher.
Achilles tendon tears are primarily caused by cumulative strain from prolonged high-load usage. At a certain point, this strain erupts suddenly.
Countless star players in the league have suffered this injury.
Among the more famous ones, players like Wilkins, Elgin Baylor, and Ewing have all experienced this injury.
He Xi Meng's good buddy Kobe Bryant is also expected to fall victim to this injury in the future, and later on, Durant, Thompson...
The less famous ones are even more numerous: Ellis, Kawhi Leonard, Tyler, Brand, Varejão, Billups, Gay, Matthews, and Jennings...
A milder case is called an Achilles tendon tear. Only tears of grade 3 or higher are classified as a rupture.
Theoretically, an Achilles tendon tear can heal and is not a career-ending injury.
However, for most players, after recovery, their stamina and physical ability decline significantly, and their competitive performance plummets. Especially after a rupture, very few can recover to their peak form; it is extremely rare.
At this moment, since He Xi Meng's specific tear condition had not yet been diagnosed, theoretically, he still had a chance for a complete recovery.
Upon returning to the locker room, He Xi Meng had fully calmed down. Regarding his current situation, the assistant coaching staff advised him to first go to the best hospital in Saitama Prefecture for examination and then decide on the next steps after the preliminary results were out.
He Xi Meng did not follow the advice of the assistant coaching staff. Instead, he immediately contacted Mickey, asking him to arrange a private jet and a medical team to take him directly from Saitama Prefecture to Los Angeles!
Concurrently, at a private hospital in Los Angeles, three of the top five orthopedic surgeons in the United States were invited by Mickey through the power of money to discuss He Xi Meng's treatment plan.
He Xi Meng's injury condition had been thoroughly examined by the medical team accompanying him on the private jet. The results were transmitted via satellite system to the private hospital in Los Angeles.
After the unified judgment of the three medical experts, He Xi Meng's Achilles tendon tear was determined to be a grade three tear, requiring immediate surgical repair, as conservative treatment was not an option!
The earlier the surgery, the better the postoperative recovery.
Therefore, He Xi Meng's decision to return to Los Angeles for surgery without delay was extremely wise.
In this matter, He Xi Meng relied neither on the strength of the coaching staff nor the resources of the club.
By the time Zhang Yide finished his game and rushed back to the locker room, He Xi Meng was already heading to the airport, accompanied by the best sports medical team in Saitama Prefecture.
And by the time Jordan received the breaking news and learned that He Xi Meng was seriously injured and out for the season, He Xi Meng's private jet had already flown over Los Angeles.
"You guys played T/
Just as the bad news about Yao Ming reached the club, before Jordan could even curse, the news of He Xi Meng's injury followed. And the preliminary results were even worse than Yao Ming's.
How could this not drive Jordan crazy?