ImaDougaholic24_7
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March 6 , 2005
Foot surgery will sideline Christie for rest of season
BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY
ORLANDO - Doug Christie sat on the bench in pain Wednesday night as the Orlando Magic played the Sacramento Kings. Part of Christie's discomfort stemmed from the fact he was unable to play against his former team and another part was his knowing that his season likely was over.
Christie decided to have surgery on the bone spurs and foot injury that have bothered him for months following a 90-minute meeting with Magic general manager John Weisbrod and head coach Johnny Davis in New Jersey on Saturday. Christie was placed on the injured list prior to the Magic's game against the Nets. He will see a doctor in Seattle later this week and is expected to have season-ending surgery in 10 to 14 days.
Christie missed the Magic's practices Thursday and Friday and didn't play Friday night against New York because of what the team referred to as an undetermined illness. Christie said the inflammatory drugs he had been taking to quiet the pain in his left foot caused him to spit up blood the past two days.
"It just got to the point where this injury was affecting me physically and internally as well, causing me to spit up blood and I just knew it was a bad situation," Christie said. "The whole reason I've been struggling with this is because I didn't want to let the team down. I knew they were depending on me and if that meant playing hurt I was willing to do it. But it just got to be where it was too much.
"Besides my family, basketball is my only love. So not being able to help the team hurts a lot now."
Weisbrod said that Christie admitted to him Saturday that he had been taking "15 to 20 Advil a day" and that he was reluctant to speak up about the pain he was in because he was so new to the Magic. Orlando traded Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley to Sacramento for Christie on Jan. 10.
"He said he started feeling quite a bit of pain three or four games into his tenure with us and said he was sheepish about coming forward or talking to anyone about it," Weisbrod said. "He knew there would be scrutiny of the trade and he's well aware of what we've been through with Grant (Hill's) injuries. I just told him that I'd rather have his directness because we want him healthy and whole again."
Speculation began to swirl as to the reason for Christie's absences because they came just as his playing time had been cut dramatically. He started 12 consecutive games soon after arriving in Orlando, but was replaced in the starting lineup on Feb. 26 by rookie Jameer Nelson. He played just 5, 12 and 6 minutes in the next three games. The low point came on Wednesday when he failed to get into the game against the Kings in the second half. He had spent the past 41/2 seasons in Sacramento, helping the Kings become a perennial power.
Making matters worse was the fact that he had gotten back the results of an MRI on his foot just hours before the game and he knew season-ending surgery was likely.
"I kind of had an inkling about surgery, but I was going back and forth with it," said Christie, who has averaged 5.7 points in his 21 games with the Magic. "I was still taking the Advil, trying to play through the pain. It was just me wanting to stay out there and help the team.
"But sometimes when you are an athlete, you are hardheaded and think you are invincible and can just keep on going. But this is for the best."
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That sucks..so bad.
I hope everything goes well for him. Feel better soon Doug, and don't ever take all that medicine again! That's crazy!
Foot surgery will sideline Christie for rest of season
BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY
ORLANDO - Doug Christie sat on the bench in pain Wednesday night as the Orlando Magic played the Sacramento Kings. Part of Christie's discomfort stemmed from the fact he was unable to play against his former team and another part was his knowing that his season likely was over.
Christie decided to have surgery on the bone spurs and foot injury that have bothered him for months following a 90-minute meeting with Magic general manager John Weisbrod and head coach Johnny Davis in New Jersey on Saturday. Christie was placed on the injured list prior to the Magic's game against the Nets. He will see a doctor in Seattle later this week and is expected to have season-ending surgery in 10 to 14 days.
Christie missed the Magic's practices Thursday and Friday and didn't play Friday night against New York because of what the team referred to as an undetermined illness. Christie said the inflammatory drugs he had been taking to quiet the pain in his left foot caused him to spit up blood the past two days.
"It just got to the point where this injury was affecting me physically and internally as well, causing me to spit up blood and I just knew it was a bad situation," Christie said. "The whole reason I've been struggling with this is because I didn't want to let the team down. I knew they were depending on me and if that meant playing hurt I was willing to do it. But it just got to be where it was too much.
"Besides my family, basketball is my only love. So not being able to help the team hurts a lot now."
Weisbrod said that Christie admitted to him Saturday that he had been taking "15 to 20 Advil a day" and that he was reluctant to speak up about the pain he was in because he was so new to the Magic. Orlando traded Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley to Sacramento for Christie on Jan. 10.
"He said he started feeling quite a bit of pain three or four games into his tenure with us and said he was sheepish about coming forward or talking to anyone about it," Weisbrod said. "He knew there would be scrutiny of the trade and he's well aware of what we've been through with Grant (Hill's) injuries. I just told him that I'd rather have his directness because we want him healthy and whole again."
Speculation began to swirl as to the reason for Christie's absences because they came just as his playing time had been cut dramatically. He started 12 consecutive games soon after arriving in Orlando, but was replaced in the starting lineup on Feb. 26 by rookie Jameer Nelson. He played just 5, 12 and 6 minutes in the next three games. The low point came on Wednesday when he failed to get into the game against the Kings in the second half. He had spent the past 41/2 seasons in Sacramento, helping the Kings become a perennial power.
Making matters worse was the fact that he had gotten back the results of an MRI on his foot just hours before the game and he knew season-ending surgery was likely.
"I kind of had an inkling about surgery, but I was going back and forth with it," said Christie, who has averaged 5.7 points in his 21 games with the Magic. "I was still taking the Advil, trying to play through the pain. It was just me wanting to stay out there and help the team.
"But sometimes when you are an athlete, you are hardheaded and think you are invincible and can just keep on going. But this is for the best."
__________________________________________________________
That sucks..so bad.
I hope everything goes well for him. Feel better soon Doug, and don't ever take all that medicine again! That's crazy!
