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DALLAS — Anthony Davis will need to wear protective goggles for the rest of his career on account of friendly fire.
On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks star big man confirmed he had offseason surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye. While Davis has made a full recovery, he will need to wear special eyewear on the court at all times, per doctor’s orders.
“You guys will see me in the Horace Grants,” Davis joked, referencing the former longtime big man known for his colorful eyewear. “It won’t be like that. But I will have some protective eyewear for sure.”
Davis said he believes the injury occurred when teammate Daniel Gafford accidentally elbowed him in the face in an April 2 game against the Atlanta Hawks. The collision happened near the end of the first quarter. Davis exited to receive stitches and returned to the game. He didn’t realize until this summer that Gafford’s errant elbow did more than just open up a cut.
Anthony Davis caught friendly fire in the Mavericks' April 2 game against the Hawks, which he said he believes is when the detached retina occurred. He returned to this game and played well. 34 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks. Hit the game winner. pic.twitter.com/fi3yDHXuFH
— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) September 29, 2025
“I think when Gaff elbowed me, it kind of caused some problems in my eye,” Davis said. “Then in the summer, I always get a routine checkup. Realized I had to have surgery.”
Davis spent a significant chunk of the summer recovering from eye surgery. He began playing in 5-on-5 games at the Mavericks practice facility toward the end of September. He will be a full participant when the team begins training camp Tuesday in Vancouver, Canada.
The Mavericks acquired Davis in February as part of the Luka Dončić trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis played in nine games with Dallas after the trade. A left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut sidelined him for close to six weeks.
The Mavericks’ goal, Davis said, is to win a championship. To do that, he knows they will need to be healthier than they were a year ago.
“I think we have a good ball club,” Davis said. “I think the biggest thing with our team is our health. Staying healthy. Other than that, I think we are going to be fine. I’m happy to be here. I’m excited to be here. I want to win here.”
Davis’ right eye was noticeably red as he took the podium Monday. He said the eye drops doctors are recommending to him contributed to the redness.
“Eye feels great,” Davis said. “The redness, I have these drops I have to put in my eye, which causes a little redness and stuff. But the vision is back. I’m ready to go.”
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Christian Clark is an NBA reporter for The Athletic who is based in Dallas. Previously, he covered the New Orleans Pelicans for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Follow Christian on Twitter @christianpclark
