March Madness is in full swing and many within the basketball world are locked in to see which college squad will survive the NCAA Tournament. Usually, the Los Angeles Lakers are the top ticket in the area, but thanks to superstar sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans are giving them a run for their money.
Unfortunately, during the Trojans’ second-round game against Mississippi State, Watkins crumbled to the floor during a drive in transition and immediately grabbed at her right knee. The worst fears were confirmed when it was revealed that Watkins had suffered a torn ACL, which brought out well wishes from many basketball greats including Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
The all-time great who led the Michigan State Spartans to a National Championship in 1979 before leading the Lakers to five NBA Championships took to social media to offer his prayers and beliefs that Watkins will come back from this injury even better:
Devastated to hear the news that Juju Watkins tore her ACL last night. I’m praying for a speedy recovery, but I know Juju is a competitor and will be back stronger and better! 🙏🏾
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 25, 2025
It is truly unfortunate to see a player the caliber of Watkins in so much pain. The crowd inside the Galen Center went completely silent and Watkins had to be carried off the court. But like Magic said, Watkins is a competitor and a fighter and will undoubtedly put everything she has into rehabbing and returning.
Watkins is one of the best players in college basketball, leading the Trojans to a 28-3 regular season record and a number one seed in the tournament. As a sophomore she averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks while being named an AP All-American for the second straight year and could potentially be named National Player of the Year.
LeBron James: Lakers control their own playoff destiny
JuJu Watkins is undoubtedly one of the biggest basketball stars in Los Angeles, but there is little doubt that Lakers superstar LeBron James remains at the top of the list. LeBron recently returned from a groin strain, though the results were not what he or the Lakers wanted. Even still, James knows the Lakers have their own postseason destiny in their hands and need to come together to put some wins together and ensure they avoid the Play-In Tournament.
“Obviously we can’t take for granted the moments we get out there and are able to play the game that we love and play it at a high level,” James said after the Bulls loss. “So just holding each other accountable, pouring into the team [and] pouring energy into the team. That’s what’s most important. Like you said, we have 12 games to position ourselves in the postseason. We pretty much can control our own destiny if we win ball games and not have to be in the Play-In [Tournament]. So that’s what JJ [Redick] has been preaching, obviously. I think he told that to you guys. He wanted to be in the playoffs and not the Play-In [Tournament]. So that’s up to us.”
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