Al, Buy TJ Ford a Hallmark Card

[lethalweapon3]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/03/12/t-j-ford-announces-retirement/

Spurs guard T.J. Ford announced what he termed as his retirement Monday morning, ending his eight-season NBA career.

The former Naismith Award winner at Texas suffered what the team termed as a stinger in their victory over New York on Wednesday. He had been diagnosed with stenosis, or a narrowing of the spinal cord, over the past several years.

His latest injury occurred when New York guard Baron Davis ran into his Ford’s back scrambling for a rebound. It was aggravated when he was inadvertently kicked in the head as he landed by Tiago Splitter.

Ford, who turns 29 later this month, said Monday that doctors had advised him for that past several seasons that one blow to his back could cause the end of his career.

“I’ve been avoiding doctors orders for years and dodging a lot of bullets. This isn’t the first time I’ve laid down on the court and not had the strength to really move,” Ford said. “I’m just trying to get out while I still have a chance. When you are laying down there, you don’t know what the next outcome is going to be.”

Although we'll remember the Horford flagrant foul that sent T.J. to Piedmont Hospital, T.J.'s NBA neck-related injuries began years before:

Diagnosed as a teenager with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column, Ford always knew he was playing on borrowed time.

As a rookie with Milwaukee in 2004, Ford was nearly paralyzed in a collision with Minnesota’s Mark Madsen. He missed the final 27 games of that season, plus the entire 2004-05 campaign after undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

Every game Ford played since, including 14 this season with the Spurs, came against all medical advice.

“I avoided doctor’s orders for years, and dodged a lot of bullets,” Ford said.

~lw3

[Guest]

Sad news, but it makes me laugh remembering the Milwaukee Bucks defending Ford as someone who 100% safe to continue playing after his spinal cord fusion. I remember the RealGM Bucks fans shouting that he would be 100% fine, that after spinal fusion he would never have that problem again. Whoops (although it took a while).