[TimesPicayune] Knee still holding Hornet back
http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1090746378107460.xml
Knee still holding Hornet back
Mashburn says first priority is his health
Sunday, July 25, 2004
By John Reid
Staff writer
Since March, Jamal Mashburn said he has followed the advice
of the Hornets' doctor -- no strenuous exercise.
With 2½ months left before Coach Byron Scott's first New
Orleans training camp, it appears Mashburn may have to
continue following that advice.
Mashburn, in a phone interview from his home in Miami, said
that his injured right knee is no closer to healing now than
in March, when he missed the final 19 games of the regular
season and the playoffs.
On a recent vacation trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando,
Fla., Mashburn said he couldn't walk around the theme park
with his wife and two kids without experiencing swelling in
his right knee.
"There is no question that he wants to play," Hornets general
manager Allan Bristow said Friday. "We're dealing with a
medical issue, a very serious injury that we are hoping will
eventually heal itself.
"Until he is fit to play or is 100 percent healthy, then our
stance is not changing. We're waiting to see when or if he
becomes healthy."
Next month, Mashburn is expected to get his second MRI since
last month to determine whether there are any signs of
improvement.
Mashburn, a 6-foot-8 small forward, missed the first 44 games
last season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right
knee. He returned in mid-January and played in 19 games before
reinjuring the knee in a road game against the Toronto Raptors
on March 7.
"I have a condition that's not going to change," Mashburn said.
"I don't have cartilage in my knee."
As recently as last month, Mashburn's name came up in trade
discussions, but the Hornets cannot trade him as long he
remains injured and cannot pass a physical examination.
The Hornets say they don't know what Mashburn can provide,
whether he is in New Orleans or somewhere else.
"I think things are held up right now -- if I'm going to be
with the Hornets or not with them," Mashburn said. "Things are
at a standstill because of my health situation.
"I wish it could be an easy situation where I could go in there
and have surgery and be back to normal. I played for 11 years,
and sometimes your body just breaks down, and that's the reality
of it. My body has broke down. It's broken down before, but I've
been able to repair it and keep going. This time, I haven't been
able to repair it."
Mashburn has three years remaining on his contract valued at
$30.1 million. He will make $9.3 million this season, $10
million in 2005-06 and $10.8 million in 2006-07. If Mashburn
retires, the money is guaranteed if no settlement is reached
between him and the team.
Mashburn also could chose to opt out of his contract at the end
of this season and become a free agent. But that's not likely to
happen because of his physical condition, which is likely to
produce an offer of far less money than his current deal.
In May, Mashburn said he would consider sitting out the upcoming
season or even retire if his knee didn't improve by the end of
this summer.
On Thursday, Mashburn said that decision can't be made on his own.
Hornets owner George Shinn has said the team's only priority right
now is seeing that Mashburn gets healthy.
"My sitting out a year at 31 years old, is that something
feasible?" Mashburn said. "I think that's a question everybody
has to answer, not just myself because of my contract situation
with the years and money involved. Everybody has to get their
heads together on that one."
But Mashburn does not plan to bring his family back to New
Orleans if he returns to play this season. He said his
6-year-old daughter, Taylor, got asked constantly in school
last spring from fellow students about what's wrong with her
father, and Mashburn said he wants to avoid having her go
through something like that again. He said he plans to enroll
her and his son, Jamal Jr., in schools in Miami, where he lives
during the offseason.
"I don't know if there will be a trade or I'll be with the
Hornets," Mashburn said. "The reason we're talking about this
is because my knee is the problem. I'm sure it's frustrating
for a lot of people, and I'm sure it's frustrating for the
Hornets."
Mashburn said he has spoken to Scott on the phone. Last month
Scott placed a few calls to Mashburn and didn't immediately
hear back from him.
"He placed the call, and I was unavailable," Mashburn said.
"But I called him back, and I told him I'm happy he got the
job. But talking about basketball or any situation, I can't
discuss that right now.
"I've kind of told Byron the same thing I've been telling Allan
Bristow and when Bob Bass was here. My first priority is to see
if I can get healthy."
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