LOS ANGELES – Reggie Miller, who severely twisted his right ankle August 25 in an exhibition game against Germany and hasn’t been himself since, may be sidelined for the first few weeks of the season, maybe a lot longer if it’s determined an arthroscopy is needed to clean up the problem, The Post has learned.
By all accounts, Miller’s injury is a severe sprain/bad bone bruise that, for whatever reason, has been unbearably slow to heal. As swollen and sore as it originally was, though, the distress signals weren’t enough to keep the Pacers’ all-time leading scorer from trying to rescue his USA teammates from an ignominious sixth place finish in the World Games held in Indianapolis.
After almost two months of recurring pain and steady frustration from being unable to attain top condition or suit up for any preseason games, Miller underwent an MRI earlier this week. However, the results only served to verify previous X-rays (no stress fracture was discovered) and additionally disturb Indy’s franchise player, who’s on the last year ($12.043 million) of his contract.
“The uncertainty of his situation is really [bleeping] him off,” said a west coast confidant. “He’s really upset about having to sit out the beginning of the season and who knows how much longer. He feels something should have been done sooner to curtail this problem and absolutely regrets playing in the World Games after hurting himself.”
“Look,” Donnie Walsh said via cell phone from the team bus en route to Denver’s airport after yesterday’s practice, “Reggie’s 37 and he’s had an arthritic ankle for a while. We all know he suffered a bad injury. What we don’t know is why it’s still bothering him. Is the pain directly related to the injury, or is it the whole ankle that’s giving him trouble? We’re still trying to find that answer.”
The team president did not want to hear the indelicate mention of the word “misdiagnosis.”
“Nobody misdiagnosed anything here!” Walsh declared. “Reggie has been examined by various doctors and they’ve all come to the same conclusion.”
Miller accompanied the Pacers by charter to Denver, but left them for LA yesterday following their marred victory, in which Jermaine O’Neal and slap-happy Juwan Howard were ejected for fighting, which almost definitely will result in opening-day suspensions for both and fines for other combatants.
“We’re trying a new procedure,” Walsh revealed. “Reggie’s LA doctor thinks maybe a shot [of lubricant] will accelerate his recovery. He’s scheduled to take one a week for the next three. I think he’s taking the first shot today. If he feels better after the first one that’s as far as it’ll go. If it doesn’t get better after the three then surgery might have to be considered. At his age, that’s unquestionably a last resort.”
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Some days, the material (girl) flows easier than others. There’s Reggie status and then there’s news about Michael Jordan (you may approach the bench, M.J.) suing a young lady for allegedly attempting to extort him.
Seems the two had a “relationship” a decade ago and that Jordan claims he paid 250G for her silence. Now le femme – Karla Knafel – supposedly is looking for another $5M to keep her lips zipped.
You have to love a guy who keeps reinventing himself. To show my appreciation for keeping us titillated and tuning in, I’m giving Michael a new nickname . . . Affair Jordan.
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As for the Nets’ contention Chris Childs is so overweight (235) they were compelled to suspend him indefinitely, I don’t entirely buy it. In my book, no NBA player is officially out of shape until Orlando tries to sign him.
Obviously, Rod Thorn used the wrong approach when he ordered Childs to slim down in two weeks or else and the guy gained a pound; the former VP of Violence should’ve mugged Childs for his excess baggage, he would’ve dropped it immediately.
To Childs’ credit, he kept his composure while being pressured by gun-wielding thugs. He may have turned over 30G in Benjamins and baubles, but he never gave up his dribble.
In all seriousness, Childs’ lack of discipline and dumpy appearance makes me think the worst; maybe he has reverted to bad habits. Sources say Thorn had no idea his free agent recruit had suffered a fat attack until he showed up at camp. Childs had informed his boss he was working out in Toronto throughout the off-season with the Raptors’ conditioning guy. When the Nets ran into the guy during pre-season he said he hadn’t seen Childs all summer.
Thus, sentence was pronounced. Thorn stated his logic in no uncertain terms at a recent team meeting. “If you’re going to screw me,” he told the players, “then I’m going to screw you!”