27th February, 2025. LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves at the Crypto.com Arena. Amidst the Austin Reaves masterclass, and Anthony Edwards controversy, the Lakers’ 5th dub in a row was a rare L that JJ Redick had to endure. The 3rd quarter saw key starter Rui Hachimura leave the game prematurely with a knee problem. Coach Redick mentioned a knee strain which turned out to be a patellar tendinopathy on further testing.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Rui’s diagnosis “is a debilitating knee injury that can affect athletes of all levels. Often referred to as ‘jumper’s knee,’ patellar tendinopathy appears to have the highest prevalence in sports emphasizing explosive eccentric contractions.” It’s the NBA’s explosive nature that makes PT a common occurrence. There’s a reason it accounts for roughly 11.9% of all orthopedic injuries the players have gotten.

The Knicks are all too familiar with PT. Their players Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are recent victims of the injury, along with 46 other players from 2001-2019. Luckily, this gives Rui Hachimura’s doctors a bit of precedence to comment on his return. PT ain’t all that bad- it’s nothing career-ending, and Rui should be good to go in no time. But they’ve exercised caution, stating that he’ll be re-evaluated in another week before quoting an exact return date. This is confirmed by NBA/NFL’s very own Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT on X (formerly Twitter).

This is a huge blow to JJ Redick’s project at the Lakers. He has been using the Japanese in the squad often, already appearing for the Showtime Lakers 50 times this season. “Concerned when any guy gets hurt, in particular one of our best players- a guy who’s been so important to everything we’ve done on both ends of the floor. So I’m not gonna speculate on the severity of the injury, I’m hopeful that it’s nothing serious,” said Redick in the post-match interview.

Rui Hachimura on a quest of greatness at Lakers

Japanese forward Rui Hachimura has set some legacy in the NBA in what’s been a short career so far. A sensation at the Gonzaga Bulldogs, he declared for the NBA draft in 2019. Being picked up by the Washington Wizards made him only the second Japanese-born player to be drafted into the NBA after Yasutaka Okayama, and the first Japanese player to be drafted in the first round.

He had ‘talent’ written all over him. His first-ever game in the Association saw him posting a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the Wizards’ 100–108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the season opener. Despite the Wizards’ inability to achieve tangible results and progress throughout his time there, Rui’s growth was seen as their silver lining.

After being traded to the Lakers in 2023, he’s shown no signs of stopping. He played 68 games last season for them, making it the most appearances he’s had in a season. Darvin Ham’s faith paid off, as he clocked 13.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG in those 68 games while shooting with a career-high 53.7 FG%.

It’s a shame that Rui Hachimura’s season caught a little speed bump after being diagnosed with patellar tendinopathy in the Wolves game. Redick mentioned a re-assessment of his injury in another week, which means he’ll miss another 2 games at least, apart from their recent 106-102 win in the first twofer against the Clippers.