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A few moments before the accident, Keyontae Johnson had hammered the ball powerfully into the ring.

A spectacular dunking that the 21-year-old basketball player celebrated with his teammates.

But after the following break, Johnson's steps suddenly become uncertain.

The 1.94 meter tall and 104 kilogram athlete hangs his head, stumbles and falls face first unchecked on the parquet.

TV images show how his teammates flinch in shock and call for help.

Emergency doctors take care of the young Florida Gators player immediately.

After a long period of treatment on the field, paramedics finally took the unconscious Johnson out of the arena on a stretcher and drove him to a nearby hospital.

The case causes great concern in the USA, especially since there is a serious suspicion.

Artificial coma

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“Please keep praying for Keyontae and his family.

We all love him, ”tweeted Mike White, Johnson's Florida coach, shortly after the fateful game over the weekend.

As his university announced, Johnson has now been moved to a clinic in Gainesville, where further tests are to be carried out.

His family is with him.

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Johnson is now responding to "simple commands" and is in a "critical but stable condition," the message said.

Johnson had previously been in an artificial coma.

Johnson fell ill with corona in the summer

But why does a young athlete suddenly collapse unconscious?

As reported by the AP news agency, Johnson tested positive for Covid-19 in the summer.

So far there is no evidence of a connection between the two events.

However, it is known that the coronavirus can lead to myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle.

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Johnson, who is playing in his sophomore year at the University of Florida, had 19.7 points and six rebounds in the first three games of the season.

He is considered one of the strongest players in the 2021 NBA draft.

It is questionable if and when Johnson can return to the basketball court.

The Gators' upcoming game against North Florida has been canceled for now.