Mickael Pietrus Injury: Will He Return In Time For The Season? [Video]

Mickaël Piétrus was injured Friday night as the Boston Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers. The Guadeloupean-French basketball player Mickael Pietrus, whose older brother (Florent Pietrus) is also a professional basketball player, took a nasty spill during Friday’s game against the 76ers in which the Celtics ultimately lost 99-86.

Driving hard up the middle towards the basket from the shooting guard position, Pietrus took flight with ball in hand only to be denied by the 76er defense. Not only was his shot attempt completely rejected, the Celtics’ shooting guard took a hard fall which resulted in injury.

Mickael Pietrus injury was not immediately identifiable by CT scans and X-rays, however, it is believed that he may have suffered a concussion. After reviewing the play in question, it appears as if Pietrus did indeed suffer a blow to the head worthy of a concussion as his head appeared to have snapped back into the ground following the initial impact of his torso. While he appears to be doing well at the moment, additional tests have been scheduled.

Raoul Ramdine, who is Pietrus’ business manager, was quoted by ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher saying:

“He’s [Mickael Pietrus] in very good spirits. We’re taking this seriously and we don’t know quite what it is yet, but he’s okay.”

Due to the NBA’s latest protocol regarding head injuries, Pietrus may have some obstacles ahead of him that could prevent his immediate return. If the aforementioned tests scheduled to determine Pietrus’ health come back indicating that he suffered a concussion as a result of his Friday night injury, he will not be allowed to play until Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan as well as the NBA’s concussion program director, clears him during a consultation.

Clearance is achieved by completing a series of exertion tests while remaining symptom-free. The tests involve jogging, basketball drills, stationary bicycling, and more.

Mickael Pietrus Injury Video: