[MiamiHerald] Mashburn mulls retirement
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/
Posted on Tue, Apr. 20, 2004
HORNETS
Mashburn mulls retirement
Jamal Mashburn, unhappy with how the Hornets have responded to
his injuries, says he is seriously considering retirement.
BY STEPHEN F. HOLDER
sholder@herald.com
Injured Hornets forward Jamal Mashburn was watching his
teammates work out mere feet from his courtside seat
Monday, but as he looked on, it was obvious his mind was
miles away.
Maybe he was thinking about his rocky relationship with
the franchise, his perceived mishandling of his injuries
by its medical staff, and, as he disclosed Monday to The
Herald, the very real possibility of retirement.
Mashburn, who played for the Heat for four seasons from
1996 to 2000, said before the playoffs he would be unable
to participate in the first round because of a knee bruise.
Coach Tim Floyd's reaction was to leave Mashburn off the
playoff roster, preventing him from returning at any point
during the postseason.
The move was perceived by some as the club sending a message
to Mashburn that it is losing patience with his unwillingness
to play through injuries. Mashburn has missed 110 of 328 games
since joining the Hornets in a 2000 trade, including 63 this
season. Still, Mashburn isn't backing down.
'MISDIAGNOSED'
"One thing I don't do is sugar-coat things," he said after
leaving New Orleans' practice at the University of Miami.
"I say what I have to say. I speak the truth. This organization
and the way things were done, I've been misdiagnosed a couple
times, and it's gotten to the point where I have to take care
of myself.
"This is something I've dealt with for the past couple years.
It's been real difficult. It kind of shows you what pro sports
is all about. Sometimes it's not the athlete's best interest
that's in mind. They just want you out there on the court.
Sometimes you have to take things into your own hands. That's
the sad part about it."
Mashburn's comments could strain his relationship with the team
further. He is already considered somewhat distant from some
teammates and Floyd. Much of that stems from Mashburn's decision
to rehabilitate from offseason knee surgery in Miami, even after
the season had begun.
FINDING OWN DOCTOR
"I remember one time when I had an ankle sprain, [the Heat] flew
in an acupuncturist," Mashburn said. "I don't know if it worked,
but they really tried. That says a lot. With this organization,
there have been times when I had to go find my own doctors. I
had to do the legwork. I had to make sure I was OK. I don't
think you're always treated as if you're human. You want me to
average 20 points per game and do this and do that, I know what
I have to do to do that, so I had to go take care of myself."
Now, Mashburn, 31, will turn his attention to deciding whether
it's worthwhile to continue playing. He plans to discuss
retirement with his family after the season, saying he isn't
sure it's wise to press a knee he considers fragile. Mashburn
has one year remaining on his contract at $9.3 million, then
has a player option after next season that would keep him with
the Hornets through 2007.
"I have to make a decision over the summer," he said. "I've
been told with my knee that it's serious. [Retirement] is
definitely a viable option. I've been playing for 11 years,
and I want to be able to walk when I get older.
--
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