The Florida Gators community continue to give their all-out support to basketball junior Keyontae Johnson. The 6-foot-5 cager collapsed in the early part of their match against the Florida State Seminoles but was immediately attended to.
Johnson was part of the five players returning to the floor after a time out. As he was walking back into the floor, the young cager fell face-first into the floor. Players who were around that were shocked in disbelief, some even ending up in tears.
Johnson was immediately given medical attention and carried out on a stretcher. He was rushed to the Tallahassee Memorial for proper evaluation. Based on the latest reports, he remains in critical but stable condition according to spokesperson Denver Parler.
pic.twitter.com/gyAyYkbgAP — Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 13, 2020
In a statement released by the Florida Gators Men’s Basketball thru athletic director Scott Stricklin, Johnson has been receiving terrific care on site.
"Keyontae received terrific care on site by the FSU staff and at Tallahassee Memorial, which has worked in consultation with UF Health," he said. "We're glad his parents can be by his side, and they all feel the support of Gator Nation."
Before the timeout, Johnson was coming off a big play. He had just completed an alley-hoop play courtesy of an assist by teammate Tyree Appleby. After that play, he even celebrated with his teammates heading into the huddle. A video of that instance can be found here.
Johnson was one of several players on the Gators side who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the summer. It has not yet been established if this had anything to do with his sudden collapse. The coronavirus can lead to myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart muscle.
Johnson chose to forego the NBA Draft and play another year with the Gators. He is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 19.7 points and six rebounds per game. He had already scored five points before the unfortunate incident. Florida was ahead at that time 11-3.
The Gators basketball player is known for his versatility and floor leadership and is considered a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year.
Florida was given the choice of stopping the game or not twice. The first was offered Johnson’s collapse and the second was during halftime. The Gators opted to finish the game with the Seminoles winning it, 83-71.
