That's probably why he's struggled with knee injuries in the past.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel big man Christian Standhardinger has been one of the PBA’s very best players over the past years.
In fact, in the last Commissioner’s Cup, he even ran away with the finals MVP after Ginebra outlasted the Bay Area Dragons for the title. He followed that up with a Best Player of the Conference award in the Governors’ Cup, where he helped lead the Barangay to the finals once again.
Given CStan’s high level of play, his latest revelation, which he made via an Instagram Story on Wednesday, should come as a surprise: He has been playing without cartilage in his knees! In the Instagram Story,
Standhardinger is seen doing one-legged squats on a board—simultaneously strengthening his legs and improving his balance and coordination.
“Never not working on my knees,” Standhardinger wrote on his Story. “If you don’t know it yet, I’ve been playing basket with knees without cartilage. The doctors advised that surgery is the only option left for me.”
And, apparently, the exercise he is showing is doing wonders to his cartilage-less knees. “I’m sharing you guys this workout that helped me a lot. Hope this helps you too—it’s a total game-changer,” CStan added.
Take a look:
So, the Fil-German big man has no knee cartilage. What’s the fuss, right?
Well, the cartilage is crucial because it acts as a shock absorber, keeping the ends of the tibia and fibula from rubbing together, which causes pain. The cartilage also helps keep the knees stable, preventing it from giving way while moving.
Needless to say, having no knee cartilage is a big disadvantage for any athlete, especially basketball players.
And that Standhardinger is playing at a high level with no cartilage in his knees makes his on-court exploits a lot more impressive than they already are.