Davis to wear protective goggles for his career after retina repair

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis said at Monday's media day that he will wear protective eyewear for the remainder of his NBA career after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye. The announcement came as training camp opened in late September, and Davis said the decision to wear goggles is a doctor's mandate intended to protect his surgically repaired eye.

Davis, 32, had the retinal repair procedure in July after sustaining an eye injury on April 2 when teammate Daniel Gafford accidentally elbowed him. Davis returned to finish that game after receiving stitches above his right eye, but further evaluation during the offseason led to surgery. He has previously played through multiple hits to the face, including an incident last November that was treated as a corneal abrasion and did not sideline him.

Speaking to reporters, Davis said his vision is clear and he has no limitations entering camp. He acknowledged ongoing redness in the right eye, which he attributed to postoperative eye drops, and said he has been practicing in the eyewear during the summer to adjust. He summarized the change succinctly, saying it was "doctors' orders."