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djsunyc
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Allan Houston Conference Call
NEW YORK, August 15, 2005 -- Knicks guard Allan Houston held a conference call with the New York media on Monday afternoon regarding his readiness for next season and his feelings about the possibility of him being waived under the one-time amnesty provision of the new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Following is a transcript of his comments:
On the chances playing on day one of training camp:
It is really hard for me to say right now. I know that again I know I’m doing more than I have been able to do in a while. My judgement is on the progress that I have been making. I can’t say well, I’ll be there on day 1, I may be there on day 1. I just can’t answer that question.
On the difference at this time making a comeback, compared to last season:
It’s progress. Just because I haven’t been playing for a while doesn’t mean my career is over. I’ve made progress and I know its hard for people to see that. All people see is if I’m playing or not. In my mind, I continue to make progress and if I have not made progress or if I had gotten to the point where it had gotten worse, then I wouldn’t have been working as hard as I have been working. I’ve been working since almost last season to get back, and so I judge it all on me making progress. It hasn’t been at a very very fast pace, but there has been progress. Now I’m at a point where I’m ahead of where I was last year at this point.
On knowing when he was safe from the “Allan Houston Rule”:
I communicated with the Knicks and I planned on being back and if I can’t get back to the level I wanna get back to, then I will consider it…. retiring. That is what I have communicated to them. And at that point, there was nothing guaranteed, and I felt that there might be a good chance of me still remaining here. I was prepared for it, I was definitely prepared for it. You have to be it’s realistic. I have been here 12, 13 years and I understand the business. The team has made changes already in preparation of me leaving and I can understand that. Again, I still believe I can play and for me I had to do whatever I had to do to get back. I think there is trust. I tried to be honest and direct with everybody and I think for the most part and that’s all I can do. The thing everyone knows is that I have a lot of pride and I don’t wanna go out and play, unless I am helping the team. There was a trust that if Allan was back and he can get back out there, that’s the way he’s gonna be. Otherwise, I also was honest in saying if I can’t, then its that time for me.
On whether he feels he has to prove something to the team and to the front office:
We all learned a lot. It was something that was tough for everybody to go through. The last thing I want was for it to be a distraction for the team not to be sure about, and that’s why the way that Mr. Dolan handled it, I think, is the best way of doing it. Because he allows me to come back and he has trusted me and basically that I can do it, and if I can’t, then he’s trusting enough to say I can’t, but I believe that I can. I don’t think we’ll have to go through that anymore.
On whether he is embarrassed by the one-time amnesty provision being nicknamed the “Allan Houston Rule”:
I think it’s an honor to have a rule named after you, being an overpaid injured athlete. [laughs] No, I’m just kidding. I don’t consider it embarrassing because I think that you have to realize that a lot of this is business. I have been in the league long enough to understand that it is business and that people make decisions and in the NBA and the league, they make decisions and rules in order for everyone to profit, not just the NBA. That’s just how it is. Nobody intends on being injured, it just happens. When that happens, and nobody has control over it, and that’s just the way it is.
On whether the Knicks would be better off without him or whether he would be better off on another team:
My first option was always to finish here and it was always my dream. Hopefully that will still happen. I was prepared. You have to mentally prepare yourself and I was prepared to start thinking about that.
On whether he has set a timetable for himself:
I haven’t. I haven’t because I have made progress and I’m in a good place. We still have almost 2 months left till training camp and I feel good about where I am. I don’t have it in my mind that I’m not going to be able to come back. I don’t have that in my head. There are things that I can do. I don’t really want to get into details. Just the way my body feels, in general a lot of the tests a lot better than they were in November. Also, when you are going through a season when you are around everybody everyday and even though people are supporting you, you put a lot of pressure on yourself when you are in that locker room. When are you on that practice court, you are trying to get back out there. Sometimes when you are away from that environment, you are able to relax and just get better and I think that is what has happened to me this summer and all different ways I just feel a lot better.
On his concern about the over crowded backcourt:
It has crossed my mind, where will I have a place? At this point, my only goal is to get healthy. I think that just being a veteran, I will be able to find a way to help. Knowing what it takes to be consistent, I’m not gonna be the factor, the piece that’s gonna put the team over the top. It’s gonna be everybody. But at the same time, I think there are certain things I can add to the team that can help. Nobody will know what that role is gonna be until I get out there and see where I fit in. Coach Brown and the coaching staff can evaluate that and see when I get out there.
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8/16/2005 7:44 AM