Trainer: Don't expect Curry to slim down to 285

BY ALAN HAHN | alan.hahn@newsday.com
8:13 PM EDT, July 13, 2009

Eddy Curry

The New York Knicks hope Eddy Curry's work with sports trainer Thomas Weatherspoon will result in substantial weight loss in time for the upcoming season. (AP Photo / March 28, 2009)

LAS VEGAS - Eddy Curry showed he has his weight and his game back under control during a two-day visit to the NBA Summer League. But his personal strength coach, Thomas Weatherspoon, emphasized that the Knicks should not expect him to show up for training camp at his fictitiously listed weight of 285.

"Honestly, when coaches are saying he has to get back to 285, they're delusional," said Weatherspoon, who came with Curry for a midsummer progress report. "They don't have a clue; that's not where he can go. If he goes back to 285, that would make him a scrawny kid. One of the things we're doing is adding more muscle now."

Curry weighs 328, Weatherspoon said, 30 pounds lighter than when he started a strict diet and fitness regimen in late May. For the first five days of the program, Curry was limited to fresh-squeezed juices and broths while he went through a cycle of a colon-cleansing product. He lost 15 pounds from that alone.

Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan attended yesterday's practice at Valley High and saw the progress of one of his highest-paid athletes. For a second day, Curry participated in full-court drills with the Knicks' summer league team and looked to be in good form. He will not play with the team, which begins its schedule Tuesday.


Although Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni are outwardly pleased by the 6-11 center's recommitment, there were still a few caution flags. Curry arrived knowing he was expected to be on the court but did not bring sneakers. He borrowed assistant coach Herb Williams' Nikes for both practices. Williams stood in Curry's flip-flops on the sideline.

It also is curious that the team agreed to essentially outsource the work to Weatherspoon and another trainer, Long Island-based Jerry Powell, rather than use its own staff to get Curry into shape. But for Curry, there seems to be more of a trust with Weatherspoon, who has more than 20 years' experience training athletes in the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. Basketball attache William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley brought Weatherspoon and Powell to Curry.

Weatherspoon arranged for a personal chef - Chef Jeff - to make all of Curry's meals and had a strength and conditioning program that involved a lot of work in a pool and muscle development. They will spend the rest of the offseason in Ocean City, N.J., where Curry's regimen will continue until training camp starts in late September.

Should the Knicks expect an even lighter Curry by then? Not quite, Weatherspoon said. The goal for the next six weeks, in theory, is to replace the fat with muscle. "Re-sculpting the body," Weatherspoon says.

So the actual weight goal, he said, is between 300 to 315 pounds by training camp.

A perhaps more realistic assessment. Funny he didn't bring sneakers. What kind of basketball player doesn't bring his sneakers?

Posted by Caseloads:

Posted by BasketballJones:

A perhaps more realistic assessment. Funny he didn't bring sneakers. What kind of basketball player doesn't bring his sneakers?

an idiot

A fat, lazy idiot.

I SMELL BACON

I knew there was a reason the Knicks kept Herb around.

Posted by WindsorPl:

Posted by BasketballJones:

A perhaps more realistic assessment. Funny he didn't bring sneakers. What kind of basketball player doesn't bring his sneakers?

He's got a trainer, a personal chef, but no sneaker helper?

He does. His name is Herb Williams.

Pathetic....

Well the trainer is speaking like a trainer and in theory i totally agree with what he said....

My thing is what took this bitch so long? That makes me so angry...you don't need a ****ing trainer...he just needs to do it. The trainer can't follow him forever...he has to lock in for the pride and respect. Every athlete puts in work...they get paid to do it and they have incredible amount of time and resources to do it. Damn shame...lets hope the guy can salvage not only his career but his life...

At least he is responding to being 2 years away from the poor house - next team that signs him should do one year deals!

And although its unrealistic to expect him at 285, would it really be impossible with his frame to be 285? Yes, his metabolism will keep him in the 300's.

Curry can get down to below 300 if he wants to and works hard for the next 3 months. But since he has no heart, I would expect him to come into camp at 320, which is probably a 30-40 lb improvement over the last two training camps. I wish we could see a 290lb Curry. I think at that weight, he would be unstoppable on the low block.

^ Holy ****, is that mean.

Damn, Cos. :)

Eddy looks like he is eating Jabba The Hutt.