Sports In The Law :: essays research papers

May 6, 2001 -- He was surrounded by his teammates, but yet Larry Johnson felt alone. Not part of the group. Not part of the struggle to advance deeper into the playoffs. And now, with the season over and done with, Johnson is extremely worried that he may never be a part of it ever again. "Man, I just don't know," Johnson said yesterday on his way out the door of Purchase College. Johnson's career might be finished. He missed the final six games of the regular season and the entire five-game playoff series loss to the Raptors. The only way Johnson was able to dull the pain in his back was with medication, which he stopped taking during the season because he feared possible side effects would be damaging to his health later in life. Next week, Johnson says he will meet with doctors to discuss his options. There is a real chance he will be forced to retire at the age of 32. "Having the ability to play? I'm concerned about it all," Johnson admitted. "This was the playoffs, and I didn't play one minute." In his 10th NBA season and completing his fifth with the Knicks, Johnson averaged a career-low 9.9 points a game, shot a career-worst .411 and played in only 65 games. He continued to operate out of position as an undersized power forward and despite his diminished production, his big-shot potential was missed by the Knicks in their playoff ouster at the hands of the Raptors. "I'm really worried about LJ," said Kurt Thomas, who filled in admirably for Johnson. "Obviously Larry's health is a huge issue," added Jeff Van Gundy. "Larry over time has really meant a lot to this team. I'm just hopeful he's able to resume his career and be healthy, but for me to guess about that would be irresponsible. We have to wait and see and let time take its natural course.