"I will play in the NBA again," vowed T.J. Ford of the Milwaukee Bucks, who is in the second year of a four-year contract. "There's no doubt in my mind. That's not even a question."

The last time Ford suited up was that February night when Minnesota's Mark Madsen knocked him to the floor. He was carried off on a stretcher and missed the final 26 games of his rookie season. He averaged 7.1 points and 6.5 assists per game.

It wasn't Ford's first such scare. In spring 2003, he fell during a pickup game and temporarily lost feeling in his limbs. He had a similar episode in high school.

"This was a serious accident and a serious injury," Ford said. "The biggest thing is to make sure I'm healthy, so that we know that won't happen again.

"I want to be bigger off the court than I am on the court," the 6-1 Ford said. As for his future on the court, Ford is trying to tune out the whispers.

"It's just a long process. I think I'm going to make it through it. It's just a matter of when."