Stoudamire Done For Season With Knee Injury
31st December, 2005 - 2:19 am

Sports Illustrated - The Memphis Grizzlies ' big victory was dampened by an even bigger loss.

Guard Damon Stoudamire ruptured his right patella tendon and left the court on a stretcher in the Memphis Grizzlies ' 93-90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

"We just lost a big, big part of the heart of this team by losing Damon," said coach Mike Fratello.

The 32-year-old Stoudamire will undergo surgery pending an examination by team doctors in Memphis and will likely miss the rest of the season, said team spokeswoman Stacey Mitch.

"It's really painful for the team to lose Damon," said Pau Gasol. "He's been a great leader for us and we'll miss his great finishes down the stretch."

Stoudamire, who was originally said to have sprained his knee, ruptured the tendon while driving to the hoop in the second quarter.

"I had a layup, but when I went up it felt like a sniper shot me," he said. "It was just a feeling I've never had."

Stoudamire, who played more than seven seasons for the Blazers, was making his first appearance in his hometown after leaving to sign a four-year deal with Memphis in the offseason.

He lay motionless with his head buried in his arm for a few minutes until being wheeled off the court.

"What's crazy is that when I went from the court to the Blazer locker room, I cried. And I cried upstairs," Stoudamire said. [READ]

tough break for the Griz

Posted by Bonn1997:

Jamal Crawford for Shane Battier? I doubt Memphis would do it, though. They need a PG but probably have little interest in Jamal.

i doubt many teams really see JC as a true PG.

Posted by djsunyc:

jamal crawford has pretty much no trade value right now.

I see, and your a GM, you know that for sure!. I Don't think so!.

A player who has Crawford's skills, who wants to get better by learning news things will always have trade value, whether he is inconsistent or not.

I don't get this Mike Miller love around here.