http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13698608p-14541326c.html
The Magic is gone
Glad to be out of Orlando, Christie will return to Arco with Dallas
By Joe Davidson
It never felt right in Orlando. Never looked right, either.
Doug Christie in Magic garb last season was about as uncomfortable - painful, even - as the bone spurs that were tearing into the soft tissue of his left ankle. Christie didn't want to leave Sacramento, a city and a Kings franchise that he held dear. Orlando swapped shoot-first Cuttino Mobley and forward Michael Bradley for Christie last winter. The Kings wanted to be younger and healthier. The Magic wanted Christie to be a leader, a defender, to make a difference.
Soon, the fans wanted him thrown out, howling about damaged goods.
And worse. He was called a quitter.
Christie now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, who signed the 6-foot-6 swingman as a free agent in August. He'll make his first return to Arco Arena tonight in a preseason opener. The ankle still is healing, the stamina not quite there.
And the golden reputation he had as a King is tarnished in some circles.
Christie said he's thrilled to be in Texas, to be wanted again, to be part of an organization that has championship ambitions. His kids are enjoying Dallas schools. His wife, Jackie, offers thumbs up on the situation. And the games can't come soon enough, all the better to get that sore wheel back on track and to polish up that image.
"Orlando was a real down period," Christie said by telephone from Dallas. "Going from the Kings, a classy organization to one that's not really that ... it was hard.
"The Orlando people didn't know me. I do not fake injuries. That's what I was accused of. I do not quit. It goes against everything I stand for, and it's not my character. One guy in the press was going crazy with it - you don't even know me."
Christie's left foot really started to bother him in the 2004 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, particularly the plantar fascia, the tendons under the foot that felt as if they were on fire. He dreaded the idea of taking shots to numb the pain, but did so anyway and played on.
Christie said a Seattle doctor advised him to have ankle surgery last summer. He put it off, believing the Kings still were title contenders. He underwent shock treatments to alleviate the plantar fasciitis. The recovery was slow.
Cuts and bursts were difficult. And if Christie is anything in hightops, it's cuts and bursts.
"The bone spurs on the top and the bottom were colliding in my ankle," Christie said. "That's how the plantar fasciitis started. The shock therapy last summer solved the symptoms but didn't cure anything long term. And once I got to Orlando, it got worse."
The wheel, in effect, fell off.
"I was so blessed in Sacramento," Christie said. "No injuries all those years. And I'll be damned, I sprain my ankle twice right away. It only got worse from there."
Christie lasted 21 games in Orlando, with 13 starts. He shut himself down - fans and media said he bailed - and returned to his native Seattle for surgery. By then, he had no desire to return to Florida. Christie did one television interview with a Florida station, defending his character and hammering the Magic franchise for allowing the media to take him to task.
Meanwhile, John Weisbrod, then Orlando's general manager, told the Florida Today newspaper in Melbourne: "The ironical thing is I've done nothing but defend the kid. I'm sure he's upset the way he's been depicted in the media. But I came back from our meeting in New York and said exactly what his injury was. The reality is I've allowed him to go back to Seattle and conduct himself throughout this rehabilitation the way he wanted."
Kings players and fans recall a completely different Christie.
Kings guard Mike Bibby said he was "saddened" to hear that Christie had been traded to Orlando. It still bothers him. Coach Rick Adelman said of all the Kings departures, the Christie move was about the toughest to stomach.
In the end, the trade didn't work for either team. The Kings got younger with Mobley but no better defensively, and Adelman admitted that Mobley never really fit. Mobley now plays for the Clippers, allowing the Kings to trade for Bonzi Wells, who will go head-to-head against Christie tonight.
Kings coaches and players offered memories of Christie, with visions of what a healthy version can offer in Dallas.
"From a coaching standpoint, Doug is very easy to coach, and he'll give you everything," Kings assistant coach Elston Turner said. "We loved that about him. His effort, his class, his professionalism. He's special."
Said Peja Stojakovic: "I played with him for five years. I can't say I had a better teammate. I personally miss him. I know how much he cared about this team and this town, how much he put into it."
Christie had to admit, of all teams he'd wind up with at the tail end of his career, Dallas wasn't the first club to come to mind. The Mavericks and Kings engaged in some spirited playoff showdowns over the years, with Christie playing some of his greatest games. He sometimes played hurt, heading to the locker room for treatment, then heading back out to compete.
Christie said he was contacted by the Seattle SuperSonics last summer, and Bibby called regularly to offer support. But it was a home visit in Seattle by Dallas coach Avery Johnson and club executive Donnie Nelson that turned Christie to Big D. It was the first time he had been recruited like that since he was coming out of high school.
"I just loved what Avery had to say, and that sold me," said Christie, who signed a four-year contract.
Johnson said he doesn't need Christie, 35, to log 38-40 minutes - just spots of the Christie of old.
"Mainly, we want him to be Doug Christie," Johnson said. "We haven't really had a player that can play that type of defense. Obviously, he's not going to hold guys to zero points, but I need somebody that throughout the course of the game I can just count on him playing consistent defense."
Added Dallas owner Mark Cuban: "Christie has something to prove. He's been on the first-team All-NBA defensive team. That experience is going to help. Doug knows what it takes."
Christie isn't sure what to expect tonight. Men, especially athletes, aren't supposed to tear up. He did when he found out about the trade to Orlando, and he very well might again tonight. "I've never been through this because usually when you're traded, you leave on bad terms," Christie said. "But our time in Sacramento was beautiful. We put our hearts and souls into it. You don't get many teams that bonded like we did. Our community rallied with us, and everyone was one and together. I'm pretty sure it'll get emotional."
The Magic is gone
Glad to be out of Orlando, Christie will return to Arco with Dallas
By Joe Davidson
It never felt right in Orlando. Never looked right, either.
Doug Christie in Magic garb last season was about as uncomfortable - painful, even - as the bone spurs that were tearing into the soft tissue of his left ankle. Christie didn't want to leave Sacramento, a city and a Kings franchise that he held dear. Orlando swapped shoot-first Cuttino Mobley and forward Michael Bradley for Christie last winter. The Kings wanted to be younger and healthier. The Magic wanted Christie to be a leader, a defender, to make a difference.
Soon, the fans wanted him thrown out, howling about damaged goods.
And worse. He was called a quitter.
Christie now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, who signed the 6-foot-6 swingman as a free agent in August. He'll make his first return to Arco Arena tonight in a preseason opener. The ankle still is healing, the stamina not quite there.
And the golden reputation he had as a King is tarnished in some circles.
Christie said he's thrilled to be in Texas, to be wanted again, to be part of an organization that has championship ambitions. His kids are enjoying Dallas schools. His wife, Jackie, offers thumbs up on the situation. And the games can't come soon enough, all the better to get that sore wheel back on track and to polish up that image.
"Orlando was a real down period," Christie said by telephone from Dallas. "Going from the Kings, a classy organization to one that's not really that ... it was hard.
"The Orlando people didn't know me. I do not fake injuries. That's what I was accused of. I do not quit. It goes against everything I stand for, and it's not my character. One guy in the press was going crazy with it - you don't even know me."
Christie's left foot really started to bother him in the 2004 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, particularly the plantar fascia, the tendons under the foot that felt as if they were on fire. He dreaded the idea of taking shots to numb the pain, but did so anyway and played on.
Christie said a Seattle doctor advised him to have ankle surgery last summer. He put it off, believing the Kings still were title contenders. He underwent shock treatments to alleviate the plantar fasciitis. The recovery was slow.
Cuts and bursts were difficult. And if Christie is anything in hightops, it's cuts and bursts.
"The bone spurs on the top and the bottom were colliding in my ankle," Christie said. "That's how the plantar fasciitis started. The shock therapy last summer solved the symptoms but didn't cure anything long term. And once I got to Orlando, it got worse."
The wheel, in effect, fell off.
"I was so blessed in Sacramento," Christie said. "No injuries all those years. And I'll be damned, I sprain my ankle twice right away. It only got worse from there."
Christie lasted 21 games in Orlando, with 13 starts. He shut himself down - fans and media said he bailed - and returned to his native Seattle for surgery. By then, he had no desire to return to Florida. Christie did one television interview with a Florida station, defending his character and hammering the Magic franchise for allowing the media to take him to task.
Meanwhile, John Weisbrod, then Orlando's general manager, told the Florida Today newspaper in Melbourne: "The ironical thing is I've done nothing but defend the kid. I'm sure he's upset the way he's been depicted in the media. But I came back from our meeting in New York and said exactly what his injury was. The reality is I've allowed him to go back to Seattle and conduct himself throughout this rehabilitation the way he wanted."
Kings players and fans recall a completely different Christie.
Kings guard Mike Bibby said he was "saddened" to hear that Christie had been traded to Orlando. It still bothers him. Coach Rick Adelman said of all the Kings departures, the Christie move was about the toughest to stomach.
In the end, the trade didn't work for either team. The Kings got younger with Mobley but no better defensively, and Adelman admitted that Mobley never really fit. Mobley now plays for the Clippers, allowing the Kings to trade for Bonzi Wells, who will go head-to-head against Christie tonight.
Kings coaches and players offered memories of Christie, with visions of what a healthy version can offer in Dallas.
"From a coaching standpoint, Doug is very easy to coach, and he'll give you everything," Kings assistant coach Elston Turner said. "We loved that about him. His effort, his class, his professionalism. He's special."
Said Peja Stojakovic: "I played with him for five years. I can't say I had a better teammate. I personally miss him. I know how much he cared about this team and this town, how much he put into it."
Christie had to admit, of all teams he'd wind up with at the tail end of his career, Dallas wasn't the first club to come to mind. The Mavericks and Kings engaged in some spirited playoff showdowns over the years, with Christie playing some of his greatest games. He sometimes played hurt, heading to the locker room for treatment, then heading back out to compete.
Christie said he was contacted by the Seattle SuperSonics last summer, and Bibby called regularly to offer support. But it was a home visit in Seattle by Dallas coach Avery Johnson and club executive Donnie Nelson that turned Christie to Big D. It was the first time he had been recruited like that since he was coming out of high school.
"I just loved what Avery had to say, and that sold me," said Christie, who signed a four-year contract.
Johnson said he doesn't need Christie, 35, to log 38-40 minutes - just spots of the Christie of old.
"Mainly, we want him to be Doug Christie," Johnson said. "We haven't really had a player that can play that type of defense. Obviously, he's not going to hold guys to zero points, but I need somebody that throughout the course of the game I can just count on him playing consistent defense."
Added Dallas owner Mark Cuban: "Christie has something to prove. He's been on the first-team All-NBA defensive team. That experience is going to help. Doug knows what it takes."
Christie isn't sure what to expect tonight. Men, especially athletes, aren't supposed to tear up. He did when he found out about the trade to Orlando, and he very well might again tonight. "I've never been through this because usually when you're traded, you leave on bad terms," Christie said. "But our time in Sacramento was beautiful. We put our hearts and souls into it. You don't get many teams that bonded like we did. Our community rallied with us, and everyone was one and together. I'm pretty sure it'll get emotional."
