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He said he would be open to it........Not that he wanted them to pursue him.
There's a difference.
Ska its been going on long enough...time to lock....
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by tupac003,
- Start date
There's a difference.
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[h2]Sixers' Miller Hires NewAgent[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 6:40 AM EST
Entering thefinal season of his contract, Sixers' point guard Andre Miller has hired Andy Miller to represent him in free agency, the Philadelphia Daily News isreporting. Miller previously did not have an agent.
"Ed and I are just going to talk about everyone's perspective," Andy Miller said. "Andre is optimistic about wherethe team is and is excited about the immediate future."
One point of discussion almost certainly will be the possibility of a contract extension.
"As far as his own future, Andre's waiting until we've all had a chance to do our due diligence," Andy Millersaid.
Via Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia 76ers
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[h2]Grizzlies Pass OnRandolph[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 12:53 AM EST
Multiplesources told Newsday that the Grizzlies have decided to pass on a trade to acquire Zach Randolph from the Knicks.
Donnie Walsh is still exploring ways to unload Randolph whose contract has three years and $48 million remaining.
But it now appears that Randolph will start camp with the Knicks at the end of the month.
Via Newsday
New York Knicks,Memphis Grizzlies
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[h2]President Bush PraisesChampion Celtics[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:51 AM EST
President Bushhosted the NBA championship Celtics at the White House on Friday, praising them for bringing the title back to the Northeast, according to BostonHerald.
"I told them that when I went to school up there, the Celtics were the ones," Bush said of his days at Yale."There's been in a little bit of a drought, but they're back."
Bush nailed all the facts about the team, having done his homework prior to their arrival.
"Despite an injury to this team's captain Paul Pierce, he played with courage," the president said of Pierce'scomeback from a knee injury in Game 1 of the Finals. "That's why this league calls him 'The Truth.' And this team calls him the captain."
Via Boston Herald
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Pritchard OnLivingston: 'I Need More Time'[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:46 AM EST
Blazers'General Manager Kevin Pritchard says that he needs more time to make a decision on free agent point guard Shaun Livingston, according to Oregonian.
"I need another 24-to-48 hours to think about it," Pritchard said Friday afternoon. "I haven't sat down and doneall the pros and cons. Once I do that, we will come to a decision about where we want to go. And even if we do decide to move forward, whether a deal gets doneor not is another question."
The time frame would indicate that Pritchard will have a decision on Livingston by the end of the weekend.
Via The Oregonian
Portland Trail Blazers
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[h2]Mavs' CubanPosts, Removes E-Mails On Howard[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:42 AM EST
Mavericks'owner Mark Cuban commented on the situation surrounding Josh Howard and realizes the forward's comments about the national anthem were wrong, according toAssociated Press.
In his blog, Cuban also responded to e-mails he has received commenting on the player's remarks by saying Howard "will workwith us" and "beyond that, it's a private issue."
Cuban posted a number of the inflammatory replies on his blog site Thursday night, with the e-mail addresses of thesenders.
By Friday night, Cuban's remarks slugged, "Thanks for the advice on Josh" had been removed from the blog and replacedwith a posting saying, "I made my point."
Via ESPN
Dallas Mavericks
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[h2]Ainge: P.J. Is Retired[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:35 AM EST
Celtics'Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge remains adamant that forward P.J. Brown is retired for the time-being, according to Boston Herald.
"P.J. is retired," Ainge said. "Today was just an enjoyable day, and we should probably leave it at that. P.J. knowsthat we'd love to have him back, but right now he's done."
Brown took part in the team's White House ceremony on Friday as part of Boston's championship team.
Via Boston Herald
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Boston's MilesSuspended For 10 Games[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:35 PM EST
The NBAannounced Friday that Darius Miles of the Boston Celtics has been suspended without pay for 10 games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Programat the end of the 2007-08 NBA season.
His violation of the program involved phentermine.
Miles' suspension will begin with the first game of the 2008-09 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able toplay.
Via Press Release
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Francis Still Hoping ToReturn[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:29 PM EST
Steve Francishas become a forgotten man throughout much of the NBA, but the folks in Houston hope he can still return to form.
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm 100% because I'm not," said Francis. "I still have a ways to go.It's going to be a tough process, but I'm willing to sacrifice. Even if I don't start the season, I know within the next three or four weeksI'll be 100%. I don't want to go out there if I'm not 100% and possibly re-injure myself."
Via NBA.com
Houston Rockets
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[h2]Vaccaro: Kobe Could Play InEurope[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:14 PM EST
Basketball guruSonny Vaccaro believes there is a real chance that Kobe Bryant could leave the NBA to play in Europe, according to Los Angeles Daily News.
"I think there is a great possibility, if for no other reason than he will make his value worth much more than anyone canimagine," said Vaccaro. "For the first time, they'll actually be in competition."
"Kobe has his own mind," Vaccaro added. "He's bright. He could have gone to MIT and been successful. I watched hisformative years. Even when he left adidas, he did it because it made good business sense. He made decisions. He's never been afraid."
"Kobe is his own man. One of the most unique people I've met in my 69 years."
Via Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Lakers
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[h2]Johnsen On Utah'sTraining Camp Roster[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:10 PM EST
BrittonJohnsen, a former University of Utah standout, is hoping to make the Jazz this season despite their full roster, according to Deseret News.
"I know there's no spots open as of now," Johnsen said. "I'm going to go and try to do everything I can to makethe team; that's my ultimate goal. At the same time, I understand it's going to be a tough (goal to achieve)."
Johnsen had offers from Europe - where he's spent most of the past four years after short NBA stints with the Magic and Pacers -but he decided to take the Jazz's offer.
"There's always openings over there," he said, referring to Europe. "I'm just kind of looking at this likemaybe something good will happen out of it."
Via Deseret News
Utah Jazz
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[h2]Pistons Excited AboutKwame's Potential[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:06 PM EST
ThePistons' coaching staff is excited about the potential of Kwame Brown heading into his first season with the team, according to Detroit News.
"I've been studying big men in this league since 1970, and I am going to tell you this, Kwame Brown, at his size, movesfaster and with more control than any other guy that size that I can remember," Assistant Coach Dave Cowens said.
Detroit is hoping Brown will excel in a less-pressurized environment.
"He's been really good," Curry said. "If the kid was not the first pick in the draft, I wonder what everybody wouldsay about him? I have a list of guys who make $6 million, $7 million a year who haven't done nearly as much as he's done in this league, and we gotthis kid for $4 million."
Via Detroit News
Detroit Pistons
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[h2]Wade Interested InPlaying For D'Antoni[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:03 PM EST
Dwyane Wade,who will be an interesting free agent in 2010, has said that he wouldn't mind playing for Mike D'Antoni, according to Miami Herald.
"I mean, I love offense. Why wouldn't I? I love him," Wade told Newsday while in New York. "We're in practice;I love [Portland Trailblazers' coach] Nate McMillan, but I want to be on Mike D'Antoni's team because Nate is preaching all defense, and Mike ispreaching all offense."
Wade also touched on the saga surrounding Stephon Marbury in New York, drawing a parallel to how Shaquille O'Neal was perceivedwhen was he traded from Los Angeles to Miami.
"You can never judge a guy by what you've heard because if that was the case, then Shaq wouldn't have been the idealteammate for me, as well," Wade said. "He came to Miami and everything I heard about him, none of it showed. You can't ever judge a guy by whathe's done in his past or what you've heard about him."
There have been rumors that the Heat could look to land Marbury to help fill the void at point guard.
Via Miami Herald
New York Knicks,Miami Heat
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[h2]Pierce: Guys Will CoverLoss Of Posey[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 3:40 PM EST
Paul Pierce wassad to see James Posey leave the team through free agency but claims that other role players will step up, according NBA.com.
"James Posey was definitely a big piece of what we did last year to win the championship, a guy who has a lot of experience, aguy who was versatile and could play three positions," Pierce said. "But I think we have guys ready to step up, the Tony Allens, the Leon Powes, andBig Baby Davis."
Posey joined New Orleans this offseason.
Via NBA.com
Boston Celtics
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Sep 20, 2008 6:40 AM EST
"Ed and I are just going to talk about everyone's perspective," Andy Miller said. "Andre is optimistic about wherethe team is and is excited about the immediate future."
One point of discussion almost certainly will be the possibility of a contract extension.
"As far as his own future, Andre's waiting until we've all had a chance to do our due diligence," Andy Millersaid.
Via Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia 76ers
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[h2]Grizzlies Pass OnRandolph[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 12:53 AM EST
Donnie Walsh is still exploring ways to unload Randolph whose contract has three years and $48 million remaining.
But it now appears that Randolph will start camp with the Knicks at the end of the month.
Via Newsday
New York Knicks,Memphis Grizzlies
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[h2]President Bush PraisesChampion Celtics[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:51 AM EST
"I told them that when I went to school up there, the Celtics were the ones," Bush said of his days at Yale."There's been in a little bit of a drought, but they're back."
Bush nailed all the facts about the team, having done his homework prior to their arrival.
"Despite an injury to this team's captain Paul Pierce, he played with courage," the president said of Pierce'scomeback from a knee injury in Game 1 of the Finals. "That's why this league calls him 'The Truth.' And this team calls him the captain."
Via Boston Herald
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Pritchard OnLivingston: 'I Need More Time'[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:46 AM EST
"I need another 24-to-48 hours to think about it," Pritchard said Friday afternoon. "I haven't sat down and doneall the pros and cons. Once I do that, we will come to a decision about where we want to go. And even if we do decide to move forward, whether a deal gets doneor not is another question."
The time frame would indicate that Pritchard will have a decision on Livingston by the end of the weekend.
Via The Oregonian
Portland Trail Blazers
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[h2]Mavs' CubanPosts, Removes E-Mails On Howard[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:42 AM EST
In his blog, Cuban also responded to e-mails he has received commenting on the player's remarks by saying Howard "will workwith us" and "beyond that, it's a private issue."
Cuban posted a number of the inflammatory replies on his blog site Thursday night, with the e-mail addresses of thesenders.
By Friday night, Cuban's remarks slugged, "Thanks for the advice on Josh" had been removed from the blog and replacedwith a posting saying, "I made my point."
Via ESPN
Dallas Mavericks
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[h2]Ainge: P.J. Is Retired[/h2]
Sep 20, 2008 8:35 AM EST
"P.J. is retired," Ainge said. "Today was just an enjoyable day, and we should probably leave it at that. P.J. knowsthat we'd love to have him back, but right now he's done."
Brown took part in the team's White House ceremony on Friday as part of Boston's championship team.
Via Boston Herald
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Boston's MilesSuspended For 10 Games[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:35 PM EST
His violation of the program involved phentermine.
Miles' suspension will begin with the first game of the 2008-09 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able toplay.
Via Press Release
Boston Celtics
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[h2]Francis Still Hoping ToReturn[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:29 PM EST
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm 100% because I'm not," said Francis. "I still have a ways to go.It's going to be a tough process, but I'm willing to sacrifice. Even if I don't start the season, I know within the next three or four weeksI'll be 100%. I don't want to go out there if I'm not 100% and possibly re-injure myself."
Via NBA.com
Houston Rockets
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[h2]Vaccaro: Kobe Could Play InEurope[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:14 PM EST
"I think there is a great possibility, if for no other reason than he will make his value worth much more than anyone canimagine," said Vaccaro. "For the first time, they'll actually be in competition."
"Kobe has his own mind," Vaccaro added. "He's bright. He could have gone to MIT and been successful. I watched hisformative years. Even when he left adidas, he did it because it made good business sense. He made decisions. He's never been afraid."
"Kobe is his own man. One of the most unique people I've met in my 69 years."
Via Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Lakers
Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets
[h2]Johnsen On Utah'sTraining Camp Roster[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:10 PM EST
"I know there's no spots open as of now," Johnsen said. "I'm going to go and try to do everything I can to makethe team; that's my ultimate goal. At the same time, I understand it's going to be a tough (goal to achieve)."
Johnsen had offers from Europe - where he's spent most of the past four years after short NBA stints with the Magic and Pacers -but he decided to take the Jazz's offer.
"There's always openings over there," he said, referring to Europe. "I'm just kind of looking at this likemaybe something good will happen out of it."
Via Deseret News
Utah Jazz
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[h2]Pistons Excited AboutKwame's Potential[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:06 PM EST
"I've been studying big men in this league since 1970, and I am going to tell you this, Kwame Brown, at his size, movesfaster and with more control than any other guy that size that I can remember," Assistant Coach Dave Cowens said.
Detroit is hoping Brown will excel in a less-pressurized environment.
"He's been really good," Curry said. "If the kid was not the first pick in the draft, I wonder what everybody wouldsay about him? I have a list of guys who make $6 million, $7 million a year who haven't done nearly as much as he's done in this league, and we gotthis kid for $4 million."
Via Detroit News
Detroit Pistons
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[h2]Wade Interested InPlaying For D'Antoni[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 4:03 PM EST
"I mean, I love offense. Why wouldn't I? I love him," Wade told Newsday while in New York. "We're in practice;I love [Portland Trailblazers' coach] Nate McMillan, but I want to be on Mike D'Antoni's team because Nate is preaching all defense, and Mike ispreaching all offense."
Wade also touched on the saga surrounding Stephon Marbury in New York, drawing a parallel to how Shaquille O'Neal was perceivedwhen was he traded from Los Angeles to Miami.
"You can never judge a guy by what you've heard because if that was the case, then Shaq wouldn't have been the idealteammate for me, as well," Wade said. "He came to Miami and everything I heard about him, none of it showed. You can't ever judge a guy by whathe's done in his past or what you've heard about him."
There have been rumors that the Heat could look to land Marbury to help fill the void at point guard.
Via Miami Herald
New York Knicks,Miami Heat
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[h2]Pierce: Guys Will CoverLoss Of Posey[/h2]
Sep 19, 2008 3:40 PM EST
"James Posey was definitely a big piece of what we did last year to win the championship, a guy who has a lot of experience, aguy who was versatile and could play three positions," Pierce said. "But I think we have guys ready to step up, the Tony Allens, the Leon Powes, andBig Baby Davis."
Posey joined New Orleans this offseason.
Via NBA.com
Boston Celtics
Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets
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Arenas blog update -
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700021073http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700021073
[table][tr][td]
The Story Behind Surgery No. 3
Sep 18, 2008
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
Posted by: Gilbert Arenas
[table][tr][td]
Now my left knee is debris free. That rhymes.
Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images[/td] [/tr][/table]I actually did everything I was supposed to after the season. I sat out a whole month without doing anything. No nothing. No rehab, no jogging, no nothing. I took the time because whatever the pain was that felt like a pinch or a bruised bone, we felt that over time, with me not doing anything the pinch would go away.
Then we started working out and the pain started coming back, the pain that was in the back of the knee. We ended up finding out that it was debris and swelling that was causing that pain. The pressure that was inside the knee was causing one of the nerves back there to be pinched and it was causing me pain. It wasn't pain to where I couldn't play, but it was pain to the point where I couldn't get through rehab the way I wanted to and before I stepped on the floor I didn't want anything holding me back.
The decision in the summer was that they had to go in the knee at some point and clean out all of the debris from the previous two surgeries. So the option they gave was we could see if the debris moves itself, or we could go in there and wash it out ourselves. Like anybody, I didn't want to go through a third surgery on my knee, so I decided to let it heal over time and keep rehabbing and the debris would work its way through.
But I'm just sitting at home and thinking, "Man, I'm rehabbing twice a day and I still haven't touched a basketball." I haven't shot a ball, I haven't run lines, I haven't done nothing on the basketball court. It was just rehabbing. The first day I tried to run on the machine called the Alter-G where I used 50 percent of my body weight and the next day I was sore. Just that one part was sore, the knee itself was fine, but there was that aggravating pain there. It feels like hitting my funny bone, that's the pain that kept going, it was just aggravating.
I was at the gym one night with the trainer for one of our late-night sessions. I usually work on my core, then rehab my leg and then go and work out the youngsters. I go work out McGee, I work out Linton (I don't know what his last name is) and I work out Nick Young. I just work them out and put them through some drills to get them ready for training camp. So it was right before I was going to work them out and we were all talking and they were seeing where my mind is at and I told them that if it wasn't for this lagging in the back of my knee I would be fine. I can play through swelling and pain, but this little thing going on down there was irritating me.
Eventually I asked the trainer, "When do you think this will go away and when do you think I can get back on the floor?"
He was like, "Realistically, you know you were going to miss preseason."
And I was like, "Yeah …"
And he was like, "Well, you might miss the first month of this season too."
So I was like, "Well, I might as well go and get it cleaned out then."
All the doctors said that if I do get it cleaned out, then it might help me out in the long run because it might actually speed up my recovery because I won't have that pain that's keeping me from the stuff I need to be doing.
I was like, "Well, I really don't want to operate on my knee again, but if that's what's going to help, then I guess I have to."
Putting It In Perspective
I had to explain that to my dad too, he was like, "BOY, YOU'RE GETTING ANOTHER SURGERY?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR KNEE NOW??!!"
I was like, "Dad, there's nothing wrong, I just have to get the debris cleaned out."
People who have never been through major injuries, I don't expect them to understand, but when you do go through a major injury like I did, eventually you have to go and get everything cleaned out and make sure there aren't any loose particles swimming around the knee.
You can go and check anybody's knee, a healthy knee, and you'll find loose particles in there. For me, I had to go in there and clean it. Somebody like Kobe had to go and do it two summers ago. Dwyane Wade might have to do it next summer, just to take care of the debris and make sure there is nothing in there that is going to set him back.
Unfortunately, mine happens to be now.
I don't think it's the tune-up that people are hemming and hawing about, I think it's just that it came about so all-of-the-sudden.
But just how you guys are thinking is the same way I'm thinking, like, "Man, another one?" I'm spending more time rehabbing than I actually am playing basketball.
Another Challenge to Overcome
Coming back from this is going to show a lot. Nobody really knows how strong of a person I am in terms of what I overcame to get to where I am.
But, for my fans out there, this is the true challenge.
From the coach telling me that I couldn't play on his varsity team, to not getting any minutes in college to getting drafted No. 31, that's all minor compared to what I have to come back from now.
It's going to show what kind of will power I do have. I'm somebody who's gone through three knee surgeries within 17 months. As fast as my stardom came, my knee tried to take it away from me.
It's going to just take that much to get back, but for somebody who loves basketball as much as I do, that's not going to be a problem.
When I Make it Back
That day is going to come, but right now I have to deal with this situation I'm in right now. I have to make sure my knee is 100 percent and I have to make sure that mentally I'm there and once those components come, the basketball is second nature to me, I do that 24/7.
I'm sitting here with my knee up high and elevated and I'm dribbling a basketball. I have almost 42 basketballs in my house. I got one in the toilet, I got one in the pantry … When I'm bored, that's what I do, pick up a basketball. I love basketball.
This right here is for the real fan of mine though. You hear about the story of where I came from and what I had to deal with, but to come back from injury is going to be more empowering to young kids. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get back there.
I'm on crutches for three days and then I'm back rehabbing. This procedure probably puts me about two weeks behind where I was. Because, you have to remember, I wasn't on the floor anyway. I'm not going back to basketball, I'm going back to doing my leg extensions and getting my knee stronger. That pain in the back of my knee was prohibiting me from doing my advanced stuff. I still wasn't even at the point where I was running.
A Necessary Procedure
Before the procedure, I don't think the rehab was going as well as it should have been. Mentally, I was confused. The reason I say I was confused was because last February I was running five miles on the treadmill and I was making my way back and then I think I bruised my knee in Game 2 of the playoffs against Cleveland. So from February to the end of April, I was fine. I was running around, I was playing basketball.
Then I go into the summer and I'm not even running anymore. I'm not running, I'm not jumping and that was really confusing me. How come I was strong enough to do all that stuff then, but right now for months, I can't do nothing basketball wise. That's when I was like, you know what, I can't wait any longer. Let's get this cleaned out.
Because, I don't want to come back during the season and play 10-15 games and then I'm back out again.
For the fans that are heartbroken out there, man, look at me. The man who loves basketball is just sitting at home, watching it.
My Return Date
I know time frames are dicey, but they said anywhere from mid December to January 1, I'll be back by then at 100 percent. I should be, if everything goes well. So that's the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza present I'm hoping for. I've done been in crutches for so long that I hate the word "crutch."
It's really frustrating, but you have to think positive. The majority of injuries are more mental than physical. If you can mentally overcome it, then you can physically overcome it. Mentally I'm past it now. I'm not even worrying about the injury. Mentally I'm not even thinking about it. Mentally I'm thinking about texting Coach Jordan. He asked me how I was doing and I texted him back telling him that later tonight I'll be in the gym and I'll be working out the young fellas because I promised them I would work them out before training camp.
I'm not going to let this stop me from doing what I do. I'm going to be careful about how I approach it, but I still have a job to do for my teammates. I told them I would help work them out so that's what I got to do.
Ever since Marc Jackson, the big Marc Jackson, was a teammate of mine in Golden State and mentally I wasn't ready to play, he used to pick me up every day (because we lived across the street from each other) and he would drive me to the gym. He said, "Come on young fella, I'm going to show you how to be a professional. I'm going to work you out, I'm going to get you back in shape." He told me one thing. He said, "You never know when your number is going to be called. But, when it does get called, because it will, you want to be prepared."
So everyday he used to work me out. We used to play full court one-on-one and half court one-one-one. He was injured, he wasn't even playing because of a calf injury, but he was out there every morning working me out. I feel the same responsibility to my teammates that he did to me. I'm going to keep everybody positive and keep everybody ready to start the season off.
Cheering the Redeem Team
I watched it like the rest of the country supporting their team and I thought they did a great job. They scared us at times, but at the end of the day we walked away with what we went in there for. At the end of the day, if it wasn't for Kobe's last minute heroics, we probably would have been looking at another silver, but those boys all played the way they were supposed to have played.
I watched a little bit of it live, but then I had fell asleep. When I woke up I didn't read the paper or anything or turn on ESPN, I watched the replay on NBC and saw the whole game.
CP hit me up as soon as they landed back in America coming from Beijing. He was like, "Man, we did it!" We talked for about a half an hour and he was so happy. I told him he deserves it, he worked hard and he did our country well.
I have no bad feelings. At the end of the day, you have to look at the bigger picture. I got my jersey, I played my part, you got to have pawns in the game of basketball and I was a pawn at that point. You have to figure out what you wanted and what you didn't want. I felt like I did my duty at the time I was called to do it. I would love to have a gold medal but when I look back at my career and when people talk about the Olympics, I can say I played internationally, here's my jersey, No. 10.
Agent Zero's YouTube of the Day
The funniest thing I've seen this summer, if you haven't seen it, is Baron Davis' YouTube clip. Not the one where he's with Nash, the one where he's skating. If you haven't seen it, go check that out. Especially for somebody like Baron Davis, you wouldn't think of him as somebody that does stuff that's funny. You don't look at Baron and think funny. But when you guys see this, you're going to laugh. You might say he's pushing it a little bit, but hey, comedy is comedy.
[/td] [/tr][/table]
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700021073http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700021073
[table][tr][td]
The Story Behind Surgery No. 3
Sep 18, 2008
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
Posted by: Gilbert Arenas
[table][tr][td]
Now my left knee is debris free. That rhymes.
Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images[/td] [/tr][/table]I actually did everything I was supposed to after the season. I sat out a whole month without doing anything. No nothing. No rehab, no jogging, no nothing. I took the time because whatever the pain was that felt like a pinch or a bruised bone, we felt that over time, with me not doing anything the pinch would go away.
Then we started working out and the pain started coming back, the pain that was in the back of the knee. We ended up finding out that it was debris and swelling that was causing that pain. The pressure that was inside the knee was causing one of the nerves back there to be pinched and it was causing me pain. It wasn't pain to where I couldn't play, but it was pain to the point where I couldn't get through rehab the way I wanted to and before I stepped on the floor I didn't want anything holding me back.
The decision in the summer was that they had to go in the knee at some point and clean out all of the debris from the previous two surgeries. So the option they gave was we could see if the debris moves itself, or we could go in there and wash it out ourselves. Like anybody, I didn't want to go through a third surgery on my knee, so I decided to let it heal over time and keep rehabbing and the debris would work its way through.
But I'm just sitting at home and thinking, "Man, I'm rehabbing twice a day and I still haven't touched a basketball." I haven't shot a ball, I haven't run lines, I haven't done nothing on the basketball court. It was just rehabbing. The first day I tried to run on the machine called the Alter-G where I used 50 percent of my body weight and the next day I was sore. Just that one part was sore, the knee itself was fine, but there was that aggravating pain there. It feels like hitting my funny bone, that's the pain that kept going, it was just aggravating.
I was at the gym one night with the trainer for one of our late-night sessions. I usually work on my core, then rehab my leg and then go and work out the youngsters. I go work out McGee, I work out Linton (I don't know what his last name is) and I work out Nick Young. I just work them out and put them through some drills to get them ready for training camp. So it was right before I was going to work them out and we were all talking and they were seeing where my mind is at and I told them that if it wasn't for this lagging in the back of my knee I would be fine. I can play through swelling and pain, but this little thing going on down there was irritating me.
Eventually I asked the trainer, "When do you think this will go away and when do you think I can get back on the floor?"
He was like, "Realistically, you know you were going to miss preseason."
And I was like, "Yeah …"
And he was like, "Well, you might miss the first month of this season too."
So I was like, "Well, I might as well go and get it cleaned out then."
All the doctors said that if I do get it cleaned out, then it might help me out in the long run because it might actually speed up my recovery because I won't have that pain that's keeping me from the stuff I need to be doing.
I was like, "Well, I really don't want to operate on my knee again, but if that's what's going to help, then I guess I have to."
Putting It In Perspective
I had to explain that to my dad too, he was like, "BOY, YOU'RE GETTING ANOTHER SURGERY?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR KNEE NOW??!!"
I was like, "Dad, there's nothing wrong, I just have to get the debris cleaned out."
People who have never been through major injuries, I don't expect them to understand, but when you do go through a major injury like I did, eventually you have to go and get everything cleaned out and make sure there aren't any loose particles swimming around the knee.
You can go and check anybody's knee, a healthy knee, and you'll find loose particles in there. For me, I had to go in there and clean it. Somebody like Kobe had to go and do it two summers ago. Dwyane Wade might have to do it next summer, just to take care of the debris and make sure there is nothing in there that is going to set him back.
Unfortunately, mine happens to be now.
I don't think it's the tune-up that people are hemming and hawing about, I think it's just that it came about so all-of-the-sudden.
But just how you guys are thinking is the same way I'm thinking, like, "Man, another one?" I'm spending more time rehabbing than I actually am playing basketball.
Another Challenge to Overcome
Coming back from this is going to show a lot. Nobody really knows how strong of a person I am in terms of what I overcame to get to where I am.
But, for my fans out there, this is the true challenge.
From the coach telling me that I couldn't play on his varsity team, to not getting any minutes in college to getting drafted No. 31, that's all minor compared to what I have to come back from now.
It's going to show what kind of will power I do have. I'm somebody who's gone through three knee surgeries within 17 months. As fast as my stardom came, my knee tried to take it away from me.
It's going to just take that much to get back, but for somebody who loves basketball as much as I do, that's not going to be a problem.
When I Make it Back
That day is going to come, but right now I have to deal with this situation I'm in right now. I have to make sure my knee is 100 percent and I have to make sure that mentally I'm there and once those components come, the basketball is second nature to me, I do that 24/7.
I'm sitting here with my knee up high and elevated and I'm dribbling a basketball. I have almost 42 basketballs in my house. I got one in the toilet, I got one in the pantry … When I'm bored, that's what I do, pick up a basketball. I love basketball.
This right here is for the real fan of mine though. You hear about the story of where I came from and what I had to deal with, but to come back from injury is going to be more empowering to young kids. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get back there.
I'm on crutches for three days and then I'm back rehabbing. This procedure probably puts me about two weeks behind where I was. Because, you have to remember, I wasn't on the floor anyway. I'm not going back to basketball, I'm going back to doing my leg extensions and getting my knee stronger. That pain in the back of my knee was prohibiting me from doing my advanced stuff. I still wasn't even at the point where I was running.
A Necessary Procedure
Before the procedure, I don't think the rehab was going as well as it should have been. Mentally, I was confused. The reason I say I was confused was because last February I was running five miles on the treadmill and I was making my way back and then I think I bruised my knee in Game 2 of the playoffs against Cleveland. So from February to the end of April, I was fine. I was running around, I was playing basketball.
Then I go into the summer and I'm not even running anymore. I'm not running, I'm not jumping and that was really confusing me. How come I was strong enough to do all that stuff then, but right now for months, I can't do nothing basketball wise. That's when I was like, you know what, I can't wait any longer. Let's get this cleaned out.
Because, I don't want to come back during the season and play 10-15 games and then I'm back out again.
For the fans that are heartbroken out there, man, look at me. The man who loves basketball is just sitting at home, watching it.
My Return Date
I know time frames are dicey, but they said anywhere from mid December to January 1, I'll be back by then at 100 percent. I should be, if everything goes well. So that's the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza present I'm hoping for. I've done been in crutches for so long that I hate the word "crutch."
It's really frustrating, but you have to think positive. The majority of injuries are more mental than physical. If you can mentally overcome it, then you can physically overcome it. Mentally I'm past it now. I'm not even worrying about the injury. Mentally I'm not even thinking about it. Mentally I'm thinking about texting Coach Jordan. He asked me how I was doing and I texted him back telling him that later tonight I'll be in the gym and I'll be working out the young fellas because I promised them I would work them out before training camp.
I'm not going to let this stop me from doing what I do. I'm going to be careful about how I approach it, but I still have a job to do for my teammates. I told them I would help work them out so that's what I got to do.
Ever since Marc Jackson, the big Marc Jackson, was a teammate of mine in Golden State and mentally I wasn't ready to play, he used to pick me up every day (because we lived across the street from each other) and he would drive me to the gym. He said, "Come on young fella, I'm going to show you how to be a professional. I'm going to work you out, I'm going to get you back in shape." He told me one thing. He said, "You never know when your number is going to be called. But, when it does get called, because it will, you want to be prepared."
So everyday he used to work me out. We used to play full court one-on-one and half court one-one-one. He was injured, he wasn't even playing because of a calf injury, but he was out there every morning working me out. I feel the same responsibility to my teammates that he did to me. I'm going to keep everybody positive and keep everybody ready to start the season off.
Cheering the Redeem Team
I watched it like the rest of the country supporting their team and I thought they did a great job. They scared us at times, but at the end of the day we walked away with what we went in there for. At the end of the day, if it wasn't for Kobe's last minute heroics, we probably would have been looking at another silver, but those boys all played the way they were supposed to have played.
I watched a little bit of it live, but then I had fell asleep. When I woke up I didn't read the paper or anything or turn on ESPN, I watched the replay on NBC and saw the whole game.
CP hit me up as soon as they landed back in America coming from Beijing. He was like, "Man, we did it!" We talked for about a half an hour and he was so happy. I told him he deserves it, he worked hard and he did our country well.
I have no bad feelings. At the end of the day, you have to look at the bigger picture. I got my jersey, I played my part, you got to have pawns in the game of basketball and I was a pawn at that point. You have to figure out what you wanted and what you didn't want. I felt like I did my duty at the time I was called to do it. I would love to have a gold medal but when I look back at my career and when people talk about the Olympics, I can say I played internationally, here's my jersey, No. 10.
Agent Zero's YouTube of the Day
The funniest thing I've seen this summer, if you haven't seen it, is Baron Davis' YouTube clip. Not the one where he's with Nash, the one where he's skating. If you haven't seen it, go check that out. Especially for somebody like Baron Davis, you wouldn't think of him as somebody that does stuff that's funny. You don't look at Baron and think funny. But when you guys see this, you're going to laugh. You might say he's pushing it a little bit, but hey, comedy is comedy.
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I been excited for this season since the Mavericks got ousted.
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AS MUCH as I hate Wade.....
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Please don't tell me you're suggesting a Wade<->Marbury swap.Originally Posted by true 3 blue
AS MUCH as I hate Wade.....
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yes. that's exactly what he's doing. maybe we can even get the heat to throw a first rounder in the deal.Originally Posted by JapanAir21
Please don't tell me you're suggesting a Wade<->Marbury swap.Originally Posted by true 3 blue
AS MUCH as I hate Wade.....
But seriously though...I can't see Wade coming to NY in 2010, cuz i really think that the Heat are gunna be contenders.
darthska
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JapanAir21:
JDB1523:
Is anyone else getting excited for the season? I'm living in London now but I can't wait for games every night.
I been excited for this season since the Mavericks got ousted.
So you've been excited for the 2008-2009 season ever since the 2006 Finals?
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I been excited for this season since the Mavericks got ousted.
So you've been excited for the 2008-2009 season ever since the 2006 Finals?
What a jerk, at least we were competitive in the Finals.
And the Celtics didn't have the guys in the black/white stripes on their side either.
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Originally Posted by JapanAir21
Please don't tell me you're suggesting a Wade<->Marbury swap.Originally Posted by true 3 blue
AS MUCH as I hate Wade.....
darthska
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JapanAir21:
at least we were competitive in the Finals.
And the Celtics didn't have the guys in the black/white stripes on their side either.
Like hell they didn't. Garnett's illegal screens, Allen's pushing off, Pierce and Rondo flopping all over the place...
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I been excited for this season since the Mavericks got ousted.
So you've been excited for the 2008-2009 season ever since the 2006 Finals?
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Come on man he didn't mean that...Originally Posted by JapanAir21
Please don't tell me you're suggesting a Wade<->Marbury swap.Originally Posted by true 3 blue
AS MUCH as I hate Wade.....
He meant a Zach Randolph for Wade swap
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Like hell they didn't. Garnett's illegal screens, Allen's pushing off, Pierce and Rondo flopping all over the place...Originally Posted by 23ska909red02
JapanAir21:
at least we were competitive in the Finals.
And the Celtics didn't have the guys in the black/white stripes on their side either.
You're right, so much injustice to the losing team in the Finals.
Especially game 6, where they lost by only 39, they were poised for a comeback but the refs had to take away that game from them.
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Laker fans are the only people who saw those things.
darthska
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JapanAir21:
Especially game 6, where they lost by only 39, they were poised for a comeback but the refs had to take away that game from them.
That's the major difference between the two losing teams in the '06 and '08 Finals. You guys had the refs against you despite beingthe better team. We had the refs against us... AND we lost a game where we were up 24 in the second half, and we lost the final Finals game in blowout fashion.
And that is a major difference, because that shows that you guys were the better team but got shafted, whereas as we played terribly... and had the refs on theside of the winning team.
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That's the major difference between the two losing teams in the '06 and '08 Finals. You guys had the refs against you despite being the better team. We had the refs against us... AND we lost a game where we were up 24 in the second half, and we lost the final Finals game in blowout fashion.Originally Posted by 23ska909red02
JapanAir21:
Especially game 6, where they lost by only 39, they were poised for a comeback but the refs had to take away that game from them.
And that is a major difference, because that shows that you guys were the better team but got shafted, whereas as we played terribly... and had the refs on the side of the winning team.
To be honest, I really wanted the Lakers to win, I didn't want to see any of those guys get a ring besides PP, and his attitude afterwards made me feeleven more meh afterwards. The Lakers are in a much better position than the Mavericks are right now. You guys are ready for Finals appearances for the next 2-3years as long as that core stays together. The ONLY negative thing about mid-season trades is that they can really ruin the team chemistry, you don't gothrough training camp with the same guys, you through a star onto the court with no seasoning, he can get lost. Pau did his best during the season and most ofthe post-season, but he looked lost at times in the Finals. I think with some more time with his teammates he would have done better in the Playoffs(that's the same excuse I use to say why Jason Kidd and the Mavericks were so crappy after they got Kidd, but then again Kidd is getting real old,
^
I see your point, but you gotta admit that Odom could go crazy in the non pressure role that is the 6th man. He may just play free and do the things that hecan do without Kobe demanding the ball or worrying if he should shoot or not.
I say it would take a few weeks minimum for us to see if he'll get comfortable or not. If he doesn't feel it, I'm sure Phil will make the switch. Phil is very smart when it comes to his roatations and getting them straight. He just takes several months to do it.
I see your point, but you gotta admit that Odom could go crazy in the non pressure role that is the 6th man. He may just play free and do the things that hecan do without Kobe demanding the ball or worrying if he should shoot or not.
I say it would take a few weeks minimum for us to see if he'll get comfortable or not. If he doesn't feel it, I'm sure Phil will make the switch. Phil is very smart when it comes to his roatations and getting them straight. He just takes several months to do it.
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It depends on who's the starting five, if Fisher is out there as the Point, and Pau/Bynum aren't out there together, Odom needs to be out there. Thereshould ALWAYS be a combination of Pau/Bynum, Bynum/Odom, or Odom/Pau out there, they need to exploit the size they have with those three guys.
As for Odom being a sixth man, when I think of effective sixth men in the NBA, I think of players like Manu Ginobili, Steve Kerr, Bobby Jackson in his primewith the Kings, Leandro Barbosa, moreso guards than forwards. That's the only reason I like Odom more as a starter. But, that's just me.
As for Odom being a sixth man, when I think of effective sixth men in the NBA, I think of players like Manu Ginobili, Steve Kerr, Bobby Jackson in his primewith the Kings, Leandro Barbosa, moreso guards than forwards. That's the only reason I like Odom more as a starter. But, that's just me.
darthska
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Starbury > Kidd
and no I'm not related to him
and no I'm not related to him
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You're not related to him, you are him.
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He has to be
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We were talking rucker streetball right when it came to starbury/kidd right............
Marbury can score. Kidd can't.
But Kidd will be writing a acceptance speech while Marbury will be filling out resumes for Nathans and the best buy in coney island
Marbury can score. Kidd can't.
But Kidd will be writing a acceptance speech while Marbury will be filling out resumes for Nathans and the best buy in coney island
