March 2007 Toronto Raptors Wiretap

Ford Vows He'll Be Back This Season

Dec 29, 2007 4:22 AM

Raptor guard T.J. Ford smiled throughout a brief interview session Friday morning and promised he would be back on the court this season.

Officially, the Raptors call the latest injury an arm stinger, but it is related to Ford's neck and spinal column, and that makes it frightening for his fans and friends, including those who recall his college career at the University of Texas.

Ford has suffered several spinal injuries because he suffers from a congenital condition called spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column. Surgery fused two vertebrae in the summer of 2004, when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks and he missed the entire 2004-05 season.

"Any time you go out on a stretcher is definitely a scary moment for everybody in the building," Ford said of his most recent stretcher ride. "And then they're showing it additionally on TV all around the world, and people were definitely worried. I just appreciate all the people that supported me and were praying for me."

San Antonio Express-News

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Raptors Send Spurs To Second Home Loss Of Season

Dec 29, 2007 4:13 AM

Toronto snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the Spurs just their second home loss of the season when the Raptors won in Texas 83-73 Friday night.

"They're a good basketball team. They're the defending world champs. And we beat them on this floor," Raptor Coach Sam Mitchell said.

ESPN

Tags: San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, NBA

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T.J. Ford Weighing Risks Involved In Returning

Dec 28, 2007 8:10 AM

The last time T.J. Ford was on a basketball court he left it on a stretcher, the memories of past injuries washing over him, concerns about his future as a man and a father clouding his mind.

"I don't think anybody can give me advice because nobody is actually going through what I'm going through," Ford said here yesterday. "Nobody's experienced it as many times as I've experienced it. People just there for me, giving me support, they can't tell you to either or because they don't know."

"It's a tough situation, but I think I will definitely bounce back."

The "it" is the lingering threat to his long-term health every time he takes a jolt to his spinal cord. He has the degenerative condition known as spinal stenosis which is a narrowing of the spinal column around the spinal cord. He is more susceptible to the sort of "stinger" pain that radiates throughout his body after a jolt to his back.

That's exactly what he felt after a collision with Josh Howard in Dallas in November and exactly what he worried about after Atlanta's Al Horford knocked him to the court earlier this month.

"Yeah, it scared me," he said. "I always said I never wanted that to happen again. I didn't care whatever else happened but never that. I put a lot of pride in not having to do that again."

"To put a scare in my family in general. We play so many games, and they're not there. Imagine your mom or your dad seeing that on TV. It's tough, you know."

Toronto Star

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Bargnani Back In Starting Five Against Spurs

Dec 27, 2007 7:29 AM

Andrea Bargnani has been elevated back into the starting lineup for the Raptors from spot duty as a backup, the Toronto Star is reporting.

Toronto Star

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Suns Race By Raptors Despite Bosh's Career-High 42 Points

Dec 23, 2007 1:44 AM

The Raptors were a one-man show. That wasn't near enough with the Suns revved up and running.

The Suns raced past Toronto 122-103 on Saturday night despite Bosh's career-high 42 points.

Leandro Barbosa, starting in place of injured Raja Bell, scored 31 points; Amare Stoudemire added 28; and Grant Hill scored 25 as Phoenix swept the season series from Toronto for the fourth consecutive season.

Yahoo.com

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Raptors Fear Premature Retirement For Ford

Dec 22, 2007 8:37 PM

After consulting with two prominent specialists in the U.S. concerning the state of his back, neck and arms, Raptors point guard T.J. Ford is back home in Houston, contemplating his now precarious future in the NBA.

Ford, who missed the entire 2004-05 NBA season after undergoing neck surgery, has already suffered two related arm 'stingers' since last year's playoffs, and a head injury after a fall on Dec. 11 in Atlanta, and has not returned to action since.

Ford had an appointment with specialist, Dr. Patrick O'Leary in New York, his second consultation this week.

"We are consulting with a number of specialists to get as much information as possible regarding T.J.'s condition. Once enough information is compiled, we will chart a course for his return to basketball activity," Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo said yesterday.

The fear within the organization is that Ford's problems may result in his premature retirement from the NBA.

Toronto Sun

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Raptors' Ford Sees More Specialists For Neck Injury

Dec 20, 2007 6:18 PM

There's growing concern about the health of Toronto Raptors guard T.J. Ford, who has left the team to visit a specialist in New York.

Ford has made the rounds of doctors since hurting his neck again in a frightening fall Dec. 12 at Atlanta.

He saw his former surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles when the Raptors were there to play the Clippers earlier this week. He then flew to New York to see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Patrick O'Leary on Wednesday.

"We are consulting with a number of specialists to get as much information as possible regarding T.J.'s condition," Raptors' GM Bryan Colangelo said in a statement. "Once enough information is compiled, we will chart a course for his return to basketball activity."

The neck injury is the latest in a string of similar setbacks for the guard who suffers from spinal stenosis -- a narrowing of the openings of the vertebra.

ESPN

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Bosh Sets Raptors' Rebounding Record In Win

Dec 19, 2007 8:57 AM

The Toronto Raptors got the job done, using tough defense and sure ball-handling to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 80-77 on Tuesday night.

Toronto shot just 37.5 percent from the field to the Clippers' 39 percent and were outrebounded 50-43.

Asked about the Raptors' poor shooting night, Chris Bosh said, "We feel pretty fortunate. But our defense kept us in it. That's why you have to play good defense every night because you're not going to shoot the ball that well every night."

"After a while, your confidence isn't as high because you don't make those shots that you usually make. They played good defense, too. They clogged the lane up pretty good, and they forced us to shoot a lot of jump shots."

He still scored 24 points and set a franchise rebound record, with his nine giving him 2,847 in his career. Antonio Davis had held the mark at 2,839.

ESPN

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Ray Allen Wit Sit Against Raptors

Dec 16, 2007 10:12 AM

A lingering ankle injury will cost Celtics' shooting guard Ray Allen another game.

Allen won't play Sunday afternoon against host Toronto, according to The Boston Globe.

The sore ankle forced Allen, who didn't travel with the team to Toronto, to also miss the Celtics' 104-82 win over the Bucks on Friday.

It was the first game he missed this season after having played through pain for more than two weeks.

ESPN

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Keon Clark: ''I Never Played A Game Sober''

Dec 15, 2007 7:47 PM

An Illinois judge has tossed out a 2?-year prison sentence for former NBA player Keon Clark, saying he deserves a new hearing.

Clark, 32, of Danville, said in Vermilion County Circuit Court on Friday that he is an alcoholic and was drinking a half pint to a pint of gin daily when he was playing pro basketball.

"I never played a game sober, unfortunately," said Clark, who last played for the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns.

Clark said in court that he started drinking in high school and, after he was drafted in the NBA by the Orlando Magic in 1998, he drank at games during halftime.

"It just never stopped," he said.

ESPN

Tags: Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, NBA

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Horford Suspended One Game For Foul On Ford

RealGM Staff Report

Raptors' Ford Won't Play For At Least A Week

Columbus Dispatch

Horford Visits Ford In Hospital

National Post

Ford Out Of Hospital, On Flight Back To Toronto

ESPN.com

Eddie Jones May Play In Dallas/Toronto Game

Dallas Morning News

Garbajosa Has Surgery

Globe And Mail

Raptors' Ford Injured During Win, Taken Off On Stretcher

ESPN

Ford Leaves On Stretcher As Raps Top Hawks

ESPN

Raptors Hope To Have Bargnani Back Vs. Hawks

ESPN

Bosh Returns With A Bang As Raptors Beat Rockets

Yahoo.com

Bosh Expected To Return For Raptors

CBC Sports

Raptors' Garbajosa To Have Surgery As Early As Next Week

Toronto Sun

Bosh, Bargnani And Ford All Sit With Injuries

NBA.com