LASIK's Play On Basketball
personalEYES | 6 Jun 2019
We recently ran an article on the PersonalEYES blog discussing professional golfer Sergio Garcia’s decision to undergo laser eye surgery. As it turns out, Garcia is just one of a number elite athletes that have chosen to undergo LASIK eye surgery.
Though there are participants from a range of sports – baseball, tennis, NFL and car racing, to name a few – some of the most well-known sportspeople to have the procedure come from the National Basketball Association (NBA). In fact, three of the most popular players in the NBA have had the surgery.
LeBron James
Regularly touted as the best player in the game, ‘King James’ is nearly unstoppable on the court. Picked at number 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft, James moved to the Miami Heat in 2010 and won his first championship in 2011-2012 season.
James underwent LASIK eye surgery in 2007. Interestingly, his true shooting percentage has improved around 50 points since having LASIK.
Though his eyesight is now close to perfect, chances are you will see James wearing eye glasses when not on the court. He is one many players who don spectacles in the name of fashion.
Dwayne Wade
Unlike James, who played elsewhere before joining Miami, Wade has been a member of the Heat since he first entered the league in 2003. He is known for his speed and his devastating athleticism.
The second-most famous player on the Miami Heat’s roster must have been impressed by James’ surgery success; Wade had the surgery in late 2011. Did it contribute to Miami winning the NBA finals in 2011-2012? With two players sporting LASIK corrected vision, there is a clear relationship…
Amar’e Stoudemire
As the New York Knicks power forward, Stoudemire has had a bad run of injuries, missing the first 30 games of the 2012-2013 season with damage to his knee. Knee injuries have plagued him throughout his career, and he has been forced to have microfracture surgery on both knees. When he is on the court, however, he is known as one of the most potent offensive big men in the game.
It is not only his knees that have been felt the strain of life on the basketball court. In early 2007 he suffered a detached retina in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since the injury, Stoudemire wears protective glasses. These however, do not have prescription lenses – Lasik eye surgery has restored his eyesight back to pristine levels.
For All S(p)orts
The fact that elite athletes choose to undergo LASIK is a testament to the safety and efficacy of the procedure. These sports stars rely on their bodies to perform at the levels they do. By choosing LASIK, they give themselves the best court vision possible.
But LASIK is for everyone, not just elite sports people. It is safe, affordable, and leaves you unencumbered by glasses, unless of course, you want to wear them as a fashion statement.