Clippers wouldn't pay for assistant coach's cancer treatment; Maggette, Brand, Kaman & Jaric step up

[blazers21ntnp]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]BUCKS BEAT: Maggette steps up big in crisis[/h1]GERY [email protected] JournalTimes.com | Posted: Monday, March 14, 2011 11:30 pm


Kim Hughes was in trouble, more trouble than he everenvisioned.

While working as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippersseven years ago, Hughes was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

But Hughes was told not to worry. His doctor assured him the cancerwas slow growing and felt Hughes could wait several months beforeundergoing surgery.

But Hughes had an issue with that. The Clippers were about to go totraining camp and Hughes, a basketball junkie with a voracious workethic, didn't want to miss a day of work.

"My doctor told me he would do the surgery in a couple of monthsand then I'd be off my feet for a couple of months," said Hughes,who played at the University of Wisconsin. "He said, ‘You know thisis major surgery.' "

Hughes confided in Mike Dunleavy, then the Clippers head coach,about his dilemma. Dunleavy suggested Hughes consult with anotherdoctor he knew and perhaps Hughes' surgery could be sooner.

Dunleavy's suggestion paid off. Hughes' new doctor, Stuart Holden,at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, was receptive todoing the surgery the following week.

But then Hughes encountered yet another major obstacle.

"I contacted the Clippers about medical coverage and they said thesurgery wouldn't be covered," Hughes said. "I said, ‘Are youkidding me?' And they said if they did it for one person, they'dhave to do for everybody else."

When Dunleavy learned the Clippers wouldn't cover the cost ofHughes' surgery, he mentioned it to his players.

Several of them, including now Milwaukee Bucks forward CoreyMaggette, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and Marko Jaric, were takenaback by the news and decided to offer their assistance.

"Kim was one of our coaches and he's a really good friend of mine,too," Maggette said. "He was in a situation where the Clippers'medical coverage wouldn't cover his surgery. I thought it was agreat opportunity to help someone in need, to do something thatChrist would do.

"It shows your humanity, that you care for other people and notjust yourself. Kim was in a life-and-death situation."

It was indeed a dicey time for Hughes. After a biopsy was taken, helearned his prostate cancer was much worse than he believed.

The cancer had quickly spread and was on the brink of moving toother areas of his body.

If Hughes had delayed the surgery, and if Maggette and histeammates hadn't provided the necessary financial assistance,Hughes doesn't know what would have occurred.

Well, actually, he does.

"Those guys saved my life," Hughes said. "They paid the wholemedical bill. It was like $70,000 or more. It wasn't cheap.

"It showed you what classy people they are. They didn't want metalking about it; they didn't want the recognition because theysimply felt it was the right thing to do."

Hughes said he will be forever grateful to Brand, Jaric, Kaman andMaggette. In fact, Hughes said every time he runs into any of them,he thanks them from the bottom of his heart.

Maggette said that was indeed the case, laughing how he hasrepeatedly told Hughes over the years it wasn't necessary.

"Kim thanks me every time he sees me; he does that every singletime," Maggette said smiling. "I've said to him, ‘Kim, come on. Youdon't have to do that. You're good.'

"It just shows you what kind of person he is, to keep thanking meall the time for that. Like I said, it was just my time to serveanother human being.

"I think if anyone on my team is in that kind of situation, I wouldtry to help him out if I could. That's just the person I am. I wasraised that way."

Hughes said Maggette's concern and generosity illustrate howsometimes people erroneously perceive others.

"Corey is perceived by some people as not being a good personbecause he seems to be aloof and arrogant," Hughes said. "But theydon't know him. He's a good man; he's a great man.

"You can have all the money, all the success, all that stuff, allthose so-called important things in life, but in the end, you'rejudged by what you did for your fellow man. Corey will always be animportant part of my life. What he and those other guys did for meput things in perspective.''

 

[True Blues]

Donald Sterling truly is the biggest prick in sports.

Props to Maggette, Brand, Kaman and Jaric for stepping in.

 

[itshlittt]

good read

 

[chamwilljam23]

Thats awesome! Its crazy how expensive some of the cancer treatments are- some people have to sell their house or take a 2nd mortgage to make due. Thanks for the story bro- good read

 

[proshares]

Great read

 

[doublejs07]

Are the medical plans issued by the team or are they under the NBA's umbrella? Just playing Devil's Advocate, but he may have encountered the same problem if he was with another franchise.

 

[scott frost]

When Dunleavy learned the Clippers wouldn't cover the cost of Hughes' surgery, he mentioned it to his players.

 

[yungsatellite]

Not surprised

 

[blazers21ntnp]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Are the medical plans issued by the team or are they under the NBA's umbrella? Just playing Devil's Advocate, but he may have encountered the same problem if he was with another franchise.

Who knows, but if you give an employee $80,000 to save his life, you're not going to be reprimanded. Sure, you're not obligated to do it, but how could you be that cold? In the grand scheme of things, what's that amount of money to the Clippers?

The Lakers paid for all of Turiaf's surgery & expenses for his heart problems when he wasn't even under contract with the team.

 

[paul is on tilt]

Very good read. Much respect to Brand, Kaman, Maggette, and Jaric.

 

[freeze]

thats a good look. an yea i always thought maggette was a ****...good to show him in a different light.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Originally Posted by Blazers21NTNP

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Are the medical plans issued by the team or are they under the NBA's umbrella? Just playing Devil's Advocate, but he may have encountered the same problem if he was with another franchise.

Who knows, but if you give an employee $80,000 to save his life, you're not going to be reprimanded. Sure, you're not obligated to do it, but how could you be that cold? In the grand scheme of things, what's that amount of money to the Clippers?

The Lakers paid for all of Turiaf's surgery & expenses for his heart problems when he wasn't even under contract with the team.

I forgot all about that. Thats the difference between a first-class organization and owner, and a junky cheap-%!# Donald Sterling and the way he runs his business.

 

[caerus]

Originally Posted by Scott Frost

When Dunleavy learned the Clippers wouldn't cover the cost of Hughes' surgery, he mentioned it to his players.

Same thing I peeped while reading

 

[outkast9984]

sterling is a scumbag....there is a reason nobody wants to play there....

 

[xbiker47]

Originally Posted by Paul Is On Tilt

Very good read. Much respect to Brand, Kaman, Maggette, and Jaric.

co-sign, much respect

  

 

[yungsatellite]

Originally Posted by rck2sactown

Originally Posted by Blazers21NTNP

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Are the medical plans issued by the team or are they under the NBA's umbrella? Just playing Devil's Advocate, but he may have encountered the same problem if he was with another franchise.

Who knows, but if you give an employee $80,000 to save his life, you're not going to be reprimanded. Sure, you're not obligated to do it, but how could you be that cold? In the grand scheme of things, what's that amount of money to the Clippers?

The Lakers paid for all of Turiaf's surgery & expenses for his heart problems when he wasn't even under contract with the team.

I forgot all about that. Thats the difference between a first-class organization and owner, and a junky cheap-%!# Donald Sterling and the way he runs his business.

The Bulls did something similiar with Eddy Curry with his heart issues, they bought him out and still helped with the expenses

 

[Deleted member 43282]

Originally Posted by outkast9984

sterling is a scumbag....there is a reason nobody wants to play there....

As a Clippers fan I have to agree.

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by outkast9984

sterling is a scumbag....there is a reason nobody wants to play there....

yup.. at least they are celebrating black history month

 

[ricardo malta]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Are the medical plans issued by the team or are they under the NBA's umbrella? Just playing Devil's Advocate, but he may have encountered the same problem if he was with another franchise.

I see what you're saying but at the end of the day, the team still has the ability to shell out the necessary funds to assist with the surgery.  It's not really a technical issue people really have a problem with but more of a moral issue.

 

[freeze]

Originally Posted by Caerus

Originally Posted by Scott Frost

When Dunleavy learned the Clippers wouldn't cover the cost of Hughes' surgery, he mentioned it to his players.

Same thing I peeped while reading

elaborate..

 

[got shoes]

Sterling needs to go, real talk. Congrats to the players

 

[you go boy]

sterling makes dolan look good 

 

[pharelfor3]

considering how much money they wasted on playrs over the years (Baron) I say they could have spotted him the money. They were under no obligation but still....


i'm sure they could have wrote it off too. I work at an accounting firm and to see what some people write off as business expenses. smh

 

[japanair21]

I'm sure they paid for Karl's expenses for same kind of thing.

Feel for the coach, good for the players.

 

[badjustin]

good read. respect for the players who helped