The Role of the Team Physician in Basketball

Abstract

In addition to sideline coverage at games (the most visible aspect of a team physician’s job), the team physician is often responsible for clinical-based care, traveling with the team, and developing policy and procedures to provide all related health-care and safety measures for the athletes and members of the traveling party. Team physicians are often subspecialty trained to handle both sport-specific injuries and non-sport-specific emergencies. They work in tandem with the athletic training and coaching staff to ensure quality and timely care for their athletes. In addition to a deep knowledge of sports medicine, it is crucial a team physician be an effective leader and communicator as they are looked to as the “gatekeeper” for the health and safety of their team.