Old Dominion basketball participant returns to follow after collapse: ‘It was very laborious to breathe’

Old Dominion University males’s basketball participant Imo Essien returned to follow a couple of days after he collapsed on the courtroom in a sport in opposition to Georgia Southern.

Essien was again at follow and informed WTKR-TV he didn’t actually course of everything of what occurred till he returned dwelling from the sport.

The incident occurred with about 13:13 left within the first half. The Old Dominion sophomore guard was on the defensive aspect of the ball when he fell onto his bottom on the courtroom. Essien struggled to get again to his toes and began to put down on his again showing to be in ache.

Side view of the Old Dominion Monarchs emblem on the ground earlier than a university basketball sport in opposition to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on the Ted Constant Convocation Center on March 6, 2019 in Norfolk, Virginia. 
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Medical personnel for Old Dominion rushed over to take care of Essien. He didn’t seem to lose consciousness and was helped to his toes and walked off the courtroom with the trainers.

“Replaying it,” he informed the station. “This would not occur, particularly for somebody like me. I’ve been taking part in basketball all my life.”

Essien recalled he struggled to breathe and felt like he wanted to catch his breath.

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The Old Dominion Monarchs emblem on the ground earlier than a university basketball sport in opposition to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on the Ted Constant Convocation Center on March 6, 2019 in Norfolk, Virginia.
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

“It was very laborious to breathe,” he added. “I felt like I could not catch my wind and on the finish there, proper earlier than I went down, it simply felt like all my wind was gone.”

Old Dominion coach Jeff Jones referred to as the state of affairs “scary as hell.”

“Particularly in mild of the (Damar) Hamlin state of affairs taking place so just lately, I feel the worst form of flashed by way of everyone’s minds,” he stated.

Essien joined the Monarchs earlier than the beginning of the 2021-2022 season and averaged about 7.1 minutes per sport. His minutes elevated this season to 29.4 per sport and his scoring common jumped from 1.2 to five.4 factors per sport.

The Wylie, Texas, native was a highschool standout who was a two-time All-State choice and scored 1,000 factors in his profession.

Old Dominion received the sport, 81-75, in time beyond regulation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.