Trail Blazers request waivers on forward Darius Miles

Pursuant to NBA procedures with regard to career-ending injuries, the Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on forward Darius Miles, General Manager Kevin Pritchard announced today.

An independent medical examiner jointly appointed by the NBA and the NBA Players Association examined Miles and determined that the damage to Miles’ right knee is severe enough to qualify as a career-ending injury.

Miles has missed all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, last appearing in a game for the Trail Blazers on April 15, 2006.

“Given the serious nature of his knee injury, we agree with the doctor’s conclusion that Darius has sustained a career-ending injury,” Pritchard said. “This allows Darius and the Trail Blazers to move forward and achieve closure to this matter. To his credit, Darius worked hard to come back, but his body just didn’t allow it to happen.”

The 6-9 forward appeared in 145 games for the Trail Blazers after arriving from Cleveland in exchange for Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje on Jan. 21, 2004. As a Trail Blazer, Miles averaged 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

The third overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles played six NBA seasons with Los Angeles, Cleveland and Portland. He appeared in 412 games, with career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Posted by TMS:

never say never... remember Vin Baker came back from alcoholism to become a force in our frontcourt. *cough*

[Edited by - TMS on 04-14-2008 8:24 PM]

Posted by ramtour420:

Thats always upsetting, i feel for the guy. All things come to an end so nothing unusual, just makes me thing about how Malone and Stockton had a specifically designed warm up routine, i bet it has to do
with them both being such durable athletes.

Posted by playa2:

Boogieman(knickscity)

Let me tell you a story about a kid from East St. Louis,my hometown named Darius Miles (nick named Dirty Miles cause his clothes were always dirty). He grew up in the worst rat infested projects you could ever imagine. His mom was dirt poor, ill and unemployed. He used to play pickup games in Lincoln Park for money and was for the most part unbeatable, a 6'9" linky kid with pg handles and a 7' footers wingspan and Dunking over everybody!

The catch, he wasn't the smartest kid, couldn't score high enough on his ACT to get into the right college program and believe it or not had nobody to direct him as to what to do.

Darius played at the 7up shoot out, a local tourney in St. Louis and dunked on so many other national top rated college prospects and McDonald all Americans when he was in the 11th grade! He had 47 points and 18 rebs in the championship game.

He was invited to the McDonald game his Senior year and put on another dribbling and dunkfest. He was approached by NBA scouts and it changed his life, his moms life and probably genarations of people in his family. FU*$ck college if you are good enough to make it to the pros.

D.Miles gift is basketball not General Studies which is what alot of NBA bound players major in.

I agree that some kids become better players in college, but if they are hard workers which can not be taught, they can achieve great success and develop in the NBA a la J.O'neal, Tmac, Kobe,Garnett,Mont Ellis Andrew Bynum, Rashard Lewis etc... all players who were raw talent their first couple years in the NBA and went on to be great players.

[Edited by - playa2 on 15-04-2008 12:18]