Shaun Livingston signs multi-year deal with...... Thunder

[aubstuh86]

[h1]Thunder sign former 1st-round pick Livingston[/h1]
By JEFF LATZKE, AP Sports Writer 16 minutes ago

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)-Former first-round draft pick Shaun Livingston will get another chance to make a comeback in the NBA from his gruesome knee injury two years ago.

Livingston signed a multiyear contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday after spending three weeks with their NBA Development League team in Tulsa. The Thunder also recalled rookie .J. White, who has been working his way back from two jaw surgeries, from the D-League for the second time in eight days.

Livingston has had an extended recovery since tearing three ligaments in his left knee and dislocating his kneecap after a layup attempt in February 2007 with the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 9.5 points and six assists in 11 games with Tulsa.

"I still feel like I have the same game and the same skills," Livingston told The Associated Press in an interview during his stint in Tulsa. "I feel like the skill set is there. It's just the physical ability. Any time you pair athletic ability with a skill set, that's where you get the combination of a good player or a great player.

"Being able to jump and run fast, that-in this sport-an advantage. That's what I'm trying to get back to."

Livingston joined the Thunder for shootaround Tuesday prior to their game at San Antonio.

Livingston came straight out of high school to be the No. 4 overall pick in the 2004 draft. He contributed to the Clippers' 2006 playoff run, when they pushed Phoenix to seven games in a second-round series. The following season, though, brought a major injury.

Livingston had to be carted off the floor after his knee buckled and twisted awkwardly beneath him. An MRI exam the following day showed how seriously he was hurt.

After a year and a half of rehab, Livingston got a chance during training camp with the Miami Heat and made the roster for this season. But he played in only four games over the first two months of the season and was traded to Memphis, which immediately waived him.

"I didn't know how long it was going to be. The doctors didn't, either," Livingston told the AP. "Just a day at a time. That's how we got here."

Livingston, a 6-foot-7 point guard, has averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 assists in 149 NBA games with the Clippers and Miami.

White, a first-round pick out of Indiana, missed the first five months of the season after surgery to remove a benign growth from his jaw and has yet to make his NBA debut.

He averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in three games with the 66ers before being recalled last week, then returned to Tulsa for one more game Sunday, scoring six points with one rebound in 10 minutes.

imagine next year, a lineup of livingston, westbrook, durant, green, and *fill in non-scrubby center*. livingston gets a chance to show what hehas left and possibly crack the starting lineup. hopefully he can redeem himself.

 

[licensed to ball]

Things lookin up for the Thunder...and Livingston

 

[gullydagreat]

Great news to hear wish him the best and hope the knee holds up

 

[jaflash]

hopefully he can be a solid contributor

 

[arrjae]

SOLID pick up!
hopefully he still got it....

 

[jman8811]

Good luck to him and I'm glad he was able to make it back this far...and if it does work out then that lineup looks pretty clean......

 

[jpap348]

good for Shaun hopefully he can stay healthy

 

[ezflash26]

But everybody had the same reaction when he signed to the Heat last year, so...but still

Good luck to him and I'm glad he was able to make it back this far...

Livingston, Westbrook, KD, Green, Thabeet?....

 

[jpzx]

I'm happy for him...I thought this dude had the worst luck and all of his chances were gone

 

[thehealthinspector]

good to see him making a comeback or at least attempting to come back,

at the type of injury he had

 

[jpzx]

Here's the picture for those of you that haven't seen the injury (probably a very small group of people)

Don't click if you cringe at serious injuries or graphic images..

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

 

[guillermo gutierez]

what kinda shoes are those?

 

[wings90]

Originally Posted by GUILLERMO GUTIEREZ

what kinda shoes are those?

Only on NT. I'm not sure on the exact name but they'reReeboks.

Good luck to Shaun though.

 

[pl15]

good for shaun

 

[high class scum bag]

Great pickup by Thunder. They have their doubts that Westbrook is a pure pg. Pairing him w/ Livingston will allow him to guard PG's and while shaun canmatchup w/ taller SG's.

 

[Lizakers]

good for him

Kristic is a serviceable center btw and still young

Thunder have a bright future

 

[durden7]

Add Blake to this team and theyre gonna be dangerous.

Add 1-2 servicable veterans who have won before and theyll be DAMN GOOD.

 

[yungmatt]

 

[acbboyz84]

. A tall 6'7 point guard

 

[krispacinla]

Thunder looking scary for years to come. They have talent around Durant, now they need it to put it together.

 

[guillermo gutierez]

yo i thought those were reeboks. those NBA reeboks.

poor dude, his shoes couldnt properly absorb the force of impact and his kness collapsed.

DMX Foam ftl.

 

[coolnificent]

 

[N41D]

I like Shaun as much as anybody, but betting on or expecting him to make any kind of real impact in the future ain't a smart endeavor... That kneeain't ever gonna be the same again... That's the very definition of a catastrophic injury...

Low-risk for the Thunder, so it's a good deal... But still, they can't and shouldn't be expecting much...

 

[thezephyr777]

Yea not sure if it was even low-risk enough to be worth it if that makes sense.

I always liked him since he was coming out. Too bad his knee happened. I don't mind us adding him though.

 

[ballinboykz]

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

I like Shaun as much as anybody, but betting on or expecting him to make any kind of real impact in the future ain't a smart endeavor... That knee ain't ever gonna be the same again... That's the very definition of a catastrophic injury...

Low-risk for the Thunder, so it's a good deal... But still, they can't and shouldn't be expecting much...

I was going to try and say the same thing without putting a downer on the thread.

I really hope dude comes back and plays well. No doubt about that. I just dont know if its going to happen though.

Best of luck to him though. Good pick up for the Thunder, as Nowitness addressed. Low risk.

I really hope he comes back strong with them. That would be something fun to watch...