Walton Buys Off Me
09-27-2005, 11:22 AM
From the Northwest Indiana News;
Big Dog learns about true 'pain'
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 12:32 AM CDT
al hamnik
times columnist
Some decisions require lots of soul-searching, like whether or not to play pro basketball at age 32 with painful bone spurs in both ankles and elbows.
Or do you glance at your NBA championship ring, feeling quite content, and retire from a sport that has made you a millionaire several times over?
This is Glenn Robinson's dilemma.
We should all be so lucky.
"When I get a lot of rest, I'm fine. But when I really, really pound it, that's when I have a little trouble with it," said Robinson, a Gary native who has undergone ineffective surgery on both ankles and his right elbow. "It's just a matter of do I want to play through it? I don't want to be out there hobblin' around and hurtin' and not able to play up to my potential.
"When I was young, I could play through the pain. But each year now, it gets tougher and tougher."
Robinson was a bench player with the San Antonio Spurs late last season and would love to return and help challenge for a second straight title. But he's heard nothing from coach Gregg Popovich and isn't thrilled with the thought of going to a non-contender and having to play more than 32 minutes a night.
"I think about retiring when I'm out there hurtin' and strugglin' and can't play...," Robinson said. "I see guys out there I had been killin' for the last 10 years and now they've got a little confidence against me. That's frustrating."
Some decisions require lots of soul-searching.
However, Robinson would rather talk about what the league's players can do to help the thousands of families uprooted along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. That's a no-brainer. You grab your checkbook like you would an outlet pass and you make something happen.
Robinson recently donated $25,000 to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund through the NBA Players Association. He is also providing clothing for the homeless.
"I'm just trying to reach out and give back," said Robinson. "The majority of New Orleans is inner city. It reminds me a lot of Gary. I feel for the people of New Orleans. I watched a little bit of it on TV, but I had to turn the TV off. It was too tough to watch.
"It brought back memories like 9/11 -- memories you really try to forget about, but you can't. So you try to make it better."
Katrina's wrath and devastation forced the Big Dog to look long and hard in the mirror and re-evaluate his own life. Bottom line: A productive 11-year NBA career has him set for life.
"We worry about the small things," said Robinson. "Here I am, worrying about my ankles, my elbows and bone spurs. But what it boils down to is, I'm still able to walk and I'm still able to run a little bit."
And unlike Katrina's countless victims, he has somewhere to go.
He's got a place to call home. Three of them, in fact.
Big Dog learns about true 'pain'
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 12:32 AM CDT
al hamnik
times columnist
Some decisions require lots of soul-searching, like whether or not to play pro basketball at age 32 with painful bone spurs in both ankles and elbows.
Or do you glance at your NBA championship ring, feeling quite content, and retire from a sport that has made you a millionaire several times over?
This is Glenn Robinson's dilemma.
We should all be so lucky.
"When I get a lot of rest, I'm fine. But when I really, really pound it, that's when I have a little trouble with it," said Robinson, a Gary native who has undergone ineffective surgery on both ankles and his right elbow. "It's just a matter of do I want to play through it? I don't want to be out there hobblin' around and hurtin' and not able to play up to my potential.
"When I was young, I could play through the pain. But each year now, it gets tougher and tougher."
Robinson was a bench player with the San Antonio Spurs late last season and would love to return and help challenge for a second straight title. But he's heard nothing from coach Gregg Popovich and isn't thrilled with the thought of going to a non-contender and having to play more than 32 minutes a night.
"I think about retiring when I'm out there hurtin' and strugglin' and can't play...," Robinson said. "I see guys out there I had been killin' for the last 10 years and now they've got a little confidence against me. That's frustrating."
Some decisions require lots of soul-searching.
However, Robinson would rather talk about what the league's players can do to help the thousands of families uprooted along the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. That's a no-brainer. You grab your checkbook like you would an outlet pass and you make something happen.
Robinson recently donated $25,000 to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund through the NBA Players Association. He is also providing clothing for the homeless.
"I'm just trying to reach out and give back," said Robinson. "The majority of New Orleans is inner city. It reminds me a lot of Gary. I feel for the people of New Orleans. I watched a little bit of it on TV, but I had to turn the TV off. It was too tough to watch.
"It brought back memories like 9/11 -- memories you really try to forget about, but you can't. So you try to make it better."
Katrina's wrath and devastation forced the Big Dog to look long and hard in the mirror and re-evaluate his own life. Bottom line: A productive 11-year NBA career has him set for life.
"We worry about the small things," said Robinson. "Here I am, worrying about my ankles, my elbows and bone spurs. But what it boils down to is, I'm still able to walk and I'm still able to run a little bit."
And unlike Katrina's countless victims, he has somewhere to go.
He's got a place to call home. Three of them, in fact.