Photo Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Aron Baynes Working On NBA Comeback After Recovering From A Gruesome Neck Injury That Forced Him To Learn How To Walk Again

Former NBA center Aron Baynes is looking to make an NBA comeback and will reportedly work out for NBA teams on Friday after recovering from a gruesome neck injury that has plagued his professional career over the last year.

The 35-year old big man initially injured his neck during an on-court play against Italy in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but he aggravated the injury after slipping and falling in the bathroom during the fourth quarter of the said event.

Baynes had numbness in his limbs and was unable to walk after the fall. He was then rushed to the hospital where scans revealed that internal bleeding was putting pressure on his spinal cord. 

Per Bleacher Report:

“The loneliest time in my life was laying in that hospital, going in and out of consciousness, going over my life plan and my goals and just crying,” Baynes told Windhorst in January. “My uncle Don had an accident 10 years ago. He’s a quadriplegic. My family’s had first-hand experience with this going down. I was so scared.”

The Australian center had to stay in hospitals in Tokyo and Brisbane for two months to learn how to walk again. He made steady progress and was able to resume limited basketball activities in January of this year. 

Now, Baynes, who last played for the Toronto Raptors during the 2020-21 NBA season, is aiming to continue his basketball journey in the NBA.

Per ESPN:

“It’s a remarkable comeback and a testament to all the hard work he’s put in,” his agent, Daniel Moldovan, told Windhorst.