SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Russell Westbrook was one of the few people inside the building the day Thomas Bryant hit the floor in Washington, the sound of him slapping the court in frustration and his pained howls echoing in an otherwise empty arena during the pandemic.
It wasn't a particularly impactful play — Bryant jumping in the air less than two minutes into a game with Miami on Jan. 9, 2021 — but the landing would change everything.
His ankle rolled, his knee, left to absorb all of the force from his body, buckled. He fell to the court and immediately grabbed his right knee.
