The phrase ‘day-to-day’ has followed Anthony Davis for so long that it has almost become part of his identity. But a recent deep dive by a Reddit user put a staggering number behind what fans, coaches, and front offices have felt for years. Across his NBA career, Davis has reportedly suffered 296 injuries spanning 51 unique body parts. It is a number so extreme that it reframes every conversation about his career, his value, and his legacy.
– Foot (55x)
– Ankle (24x)
– Achilles (20x)
– Back (20x)
– Adductor (18x)
– Knee (18x)
– Calf (16x)
– Shoulder (14x)
– Plantar (9x)
– Thumb (8x)
– Wrist (7x)
– Groin (7x)
– Elbow (7x)
– Eye (6x)
– Finger (6x)
– Illness (5x)
– Adductor/Hip (4x)
– Thigh (4x)
– Achilles/Hip (3x)
– Right Calf (3x)
– Hip (2x)
– Right Knee (2x)
– Head (2x)
– Quad (2x)
– Right ankle (2x)
– Rib (2x)
– Heel (2x)
– Gluteus Maximus (2x)
– Right Shoulder (2x)
– Glute (2x)
– Sore ankle (2x)
– Right Adductor
– Toe
– Right heel
– Sore Right Shoulder
– Ribs/Shoulder
– Personal
– Back Spasms
– Rest
– Left knee swelling
– Concussion
– Strained left groin
– Sore groin
– Elbow Sprain
– Right Elbow Sprain
– Right Hip Strain
– Left Index Finger
– Right Quad
– Abdomen
– Leg
– Hand
The breakdown alone reads like a medical textbook. Davis has dealt with foot issues 55 times, ankle injuries 24 times, Achilles problems 20 times, and back issues 20 times. Add in adductor strains, knee soreness, calf injuries, shoulder problems, plantar fasciitis, groin pulls, wrist sprains, finger injuries, concussions, rib pain, and even glute strains, and the scope becomes almost unbelievable. This is not one weak area. It is everywhere.
What makes the data even more jarring is how consistent the pattern has been. There is no single era where injuries disappeared. From his early days with the New Orleans Pelicans, through his championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers, and now into his turbulent stint with the Dallas Mavericks, the interruptions never stopped. The locations changed. The frequency did not.
Dallas has experienced the full weight of this reality in record time. Since arriving with the Mavericks, Davis has suffered 18 separate injuries in less than a year, missing 42 games while appearing in just 29. Groin strains, adductor flare-ups, calf issues, a sore Achilles, illness, and now a ligament injury in his left hand that could sideline him for months. Each return has been followed by another pause. There has been no rhythm, no runway to build momentum.
And that is the cruel irony. When Davis plays, he still looks like Anthony Davis. He is averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, shooting efficiently and anchoring defenses the moment he steps on the floor. His defensive instincts remain elite. His timing at the rim is intact. His touch around the basket has not vanished. The talent has never been the issue.
Availability has.
The sheer variety of injuries tells an uncomfortable story. This is not just bad luck or one chronic problem that never healed properly. It is the cumulative toll of a body that has absorbed too much, too often, across too many seasons. Soft tissue injuries repeat. Lower-body strains overlap. Small issues linger and reappear under load. As Davis moves deeper into his 30s, recovery windows shrink, and minor setbacks snowball into weeks or months.
This reality has reshaped how teams view him. Front offices no longer debate whether Davis is good enough to anchor a contender. They debate whether they can trust him to stay upright long enough to matter. That distinction is everything. In Dallas, it has frozen trade conversations, complicated long-term planning, and forced the franchise into uncomfortable questions about timelines and direction.
The saddest part is that Davis’ career will always live in two truths. One is undeniable greatness. A Defensive Player of the Year candidate, an NBA champion, and one of the most versatile big men the league has ever seen. The other is fragility at a historic scale. 296 injuries across 51 body parts are not just trivia. It is the defining tension of his career.
Anthony Davis is still capable of changing games. What he has never been able to change is how often his body pulls him back out of them.
