SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ The Orlando Magic placed Aaron Gordon into the NBA's concussion protocol on Thursday, but Gordon said Friday he thinks he merely was suffering from a migraine headache.
"I've dealt with migraines before," Gordon said before the Magic played the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. "They're being extra cautious, so I appreciate that. They're caring for me. They're taking care of me. I thought I was OK. But you've got to be safe."
If Gordon suffered a concussion during the Magic's previous game, it would be his third concussion since April 2016, a span of 23 months. Gordon missed three games late in the 2015-16 season due to a concussion and two games this past December due to a concussion.
That track record of concussions could hurt Gordon's value when he becomes a restricted free agent in July. It would be to his benefit if he indeed had suffered from a migraine instead of another concussion.
Team officials said Gordon collided with Julius Randle during the Magic's loss Wednesday to the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Gordon remained in the game, team officials said Gordon started experiencing concussion symptoms on the flight to Sacramento.
"The concussion protocol is a black-and-white thing," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "You have X, Y and Z symptoms, you enter the protocol. The league is appropriately taking concussions very seriously. And it's unfortunate for us, it's unfortunate for Aaron. But this is something that's being done the right way by the league."
Friday was supposed to be a big day for Gordon.
He grew up in San Jose, Calif., and he expected to have 35 friends and family members attend the Magic-Kings game.
"If it was up to me, I'd be playing," Gordon said. "It's not up to me. They're taking care of me, and I appreciate them for it."
