Chris Livingston misses NBA preseason debut with ankle sprain

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Chris Livingston with the final pick of the 2023 NBA draft. The much-discussed former Kentucky forward was amidst much of the Wildcats’ discombobulation last year and proved the rumored communication disconnect between players and coaches true when John Calipari did not seem to realize Livingston was on site at the draft.

However, all of that drama is now in the past, and ultimately Chris Livingston is living out his dream in the NBA. The start of that dream, however, may have to wait a little while longer; he missed the Bucks’ first preseason game on Sunday with a sprained ankle.

Livingston looked fine when he threw out the first pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers last week, but must have incurred the injury between then and now.

During the preseason, Livingston mimicked his days in Lexington, with spurts of excellence followed by stretches where he appeared to vanish on the court. With Milwaukee, a team with serious title aspirations after acquiring Damian Lillard, Livingston will have time to learn and grow at his own pace. Preseason games are where rookies have an opportunity to prove they belong in the league, so the timing of this ankle sprain came at an unfortunate time.

It is unclear if Livingston will be back for Tuesday’s exhibition matchup in Memphis against the Grizzlies.

Despite how they may feel about his departure from Kentucky, Big Blue Nation wishes Livingston a speedy recovery and a quality NBA debut when that day finally comes.