At least T.J. Ford got to retire in his home state of Texas. At least he got to retire. The 28-year-old San Antonio Spurs guard called it a career Monday, five days after one more scary injury during nine years in the NBA that were full of them. The back stinger Ford suffered while battling for a rebound against New York last week was enough; he long ago had been diagnosed with stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal cord. His first spinal injury came his rookie season.
But the first-team All-American out of Texas still went on to average 14.0 points and 7.9 assists with Toronto in 2006-07 and 14.9 points and 5.3 assists with Indiana two years later. The era of the point guard? Ford should be included.
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Luckily, it won’t come at his own expense.
“I avoided doctors’ orders for years and dodged a lot of bullets,” Ford told the San Antonio Express-News. “I thought I needed to get out while I still had a chance.”
– Craig Stouffer
