Keyontae Johnson will get some much-needed rest but it appears he will be doing so for not less than three months. Not long after the 25-year-old was discharged from the hospital, doctors revealed that the reason behind his collapse during the University of Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles match was due to acute myocarditis.
This is a surprising development, something experts had feared. It appears that these findings show that Johnson previously testing positive for COVID-19 was linked to the whole issue, USA Today reported.
It was in the summer when Johnson and some other players tested positive for COVID-19. They went through the protocols before being allowed to play competitive ball again. That was until Johnson’s shocking collapse in the early goings of the Gators vs. Seminoles match.
U. of Florida Gators basketball player Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed on the floor during a game, was diagnosed with a heart inflammation, a report says.
It was possibly linked to COVID.https://t.co/XK6sYnh5IS — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) December 23, 2020
It will be recalled that Johnson was coming off a big play when he slammed the ball off a nifty pass by teammate Tyree Appleby. After a timeout following that play, Johnson appeared fine walking back onto the court. He suddenly collapsed, face-first, but was given immediate medical attention.
Doctors placed him in a medically induced coma due to some brain activity. He woke up from that and showed positive signs. He responded well to family and doctors, a positive sign. He even thanked people for their prayers and support, seemingly fit as an ox.
His release from the hospital was a big development but left a lot of unanswered questions. Dehydration could have been a reason but most feared a heart-related issue. That turned out to be the case.
With this new development, Johnson will be prohibited from playing basketball for at least three months. This means that the 6-foot-5 cager will likely be ruled out and miss the rest of the Gators 2020-21 season.
The immediate concern right now is addressing Johnson’s health. Also, other schools may need to check their players once more to make sure that nothing similar to the plight of the junior player occurs for the rest of the season.
The development also means bad news for Gators head coach Mike White. The 25-year-old was one of his top guns this season and his absence will be a huge void to fill. Johnson is averaging 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Assuming he does hurdle this episode, his basketball future is also up in the air. Johnson passed up joining the 2020 NBA Draft to play for the Gators. Unless he can show positive signs to overcome myocarditis, his hoop dreams are now also on hold.
