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Charlotte Hornets small forward, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, was injured early in tonight's preseason game against the Orlando Magic.
MKG fouled as he curled off pick & hits the floor hard. Headed to locker room w/ trainer Steve Stricker after holding R shoulder. @hornets
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) October 4, 2015
After spending some time in the locker room, MKG was reportedly taken out of the arena on a stretcher so he could be further evaluated at a local Orlando hospital.
I just saw Michael Kidd-Gilchrist being taken out of the locker room in a stretcher. Not good for Charlotte.
— Mary Stevens (@MaryStevensNBA) October 4, 2015
Injury Update: @hornets MKG taken from arena to local hospital to get x-rays & further evaluation. #CHAvsORL
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) October 4, 2015
It's frustrating to see MKG get injured yet again but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Criticizing a player for getting hurt would be ridiculous. That said, these build ups of injuries are very worrisome. It's not uncommon to see MKG take a hard fall these days, and it makes many of us worry about his long term health. He should have a long career ahead of him, but injuries could shorten that if he's not careful.
Kidd-Gilchrist just signed a 4 year, $52 million extension over the summer, and there was general agreement among everybody that this was a steal of a contract for Charlotte. It's been well documented how important MKG is to the success of the Hornets, and any time he misses will be crucial in a rebound season for Charlotte.
We wish Kidd-Gilchrist a speedy recovery, and hope that his injury is nothing too serious.
UPDATE: 12:05 am
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has dislocated his shoulder. There is no timetable for his return, but it's unlikely he'll be back anytime soon.
Injury Update: @hornets Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a dislocated right shoulder in Sat's preseason game vs ORL.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) October 4, 2015