Ah, April. What a month. It means the culmination of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, spring college football and … the stretch run in the NBA? Wait, you’re surprised too? I thought I might be the only one.
Yes, the NBA is concluding its 59th season of play in its usual anti-climactic, watered-down fashion. Even some intriguing storylines (Shaq in the East, Steve Nash leading the revamped Suns, the Bulls winning again and the Lakers missing the playoffs to name a few) haven’t been able to bolster yet another dull 82-game slate. In about a week’s time, 14 of the league’s team will have seen the end of their seasons.
One young man finds himself at the opposite end of this spectrum. And he won’t be playing in the NBA Finals.
After over a year of pain, anguish and heartache, Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford has finally been cleared to participate in standard basketball exercises (running, shooting and the like). For Ford, while he is still a while away from beginning workouts that include physical contact, the announcement is still bittersweet.
Things weren’t supposed to be this way. Two years ago, T.J. Ford was the reigning college player of the year. He had just led Texas University to its first Final Four appearance since 1947. Having accomplished so much in just two years in Austin, Ford made the logical choice — he left for the NBA with no qualms despite his small stature (5-foot-11, 162 lbs).
The Bucks rewarded Ford for his decision by selecting him with the eighth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. The Houston native continued to overcome his size and shooting limitations, serving as the floor general for a Bucks team that came out of nowhere to make the playoffs before falling to the eventual Finals champions Detroit Pistons.
Ford’s high-tempo game had no problems translating to the more physical professional style of basketball. While he shot just 38.4 percent from the field, the youngster averaged 7.1 points and 6.5 assists per game (compared to just 2.5 turnovers). Ford may not have been the Bucks’ star, but he was the spark plug that allowed Milwaukee to score transition buckets in the plodding Eastern Conference.
However, none of it mattered on Feb. 24, 2004. Ford found himself down and out, literally, laying on the floor after falling directly on his tailbone. The tumble jarred his entire body and sent him off of the Bradley Center court on a stretcher. Suddenly, everything had changed. But it wasn’t just his season that was in question — whispers told of the end of a career. In a matter of nine months, it appeared T.J. Ford’s life in professional basketball had ended.
Under the radar of the media, Ford began the quest to reclaim his livelihood in the sport. He underwent cervical spine surgery last May in Los Angeles, the beginning of what has been, and will continue to be, a long road back.
Over the summer and throughout this season, the Bucks kept quiet on Ford’s progress and timetable. General manager Larry Harris and head coach Terry Porter kept a low key on their point guard’s future. Milwaukee loyalists watched fellow point man and 3-point ace Damon Jones exit for the warmer weather and improve the talent pool of Miami.
They saw Harris ink point men Mike James (who is now in Houston via a trade) and Maurice Williams to hold down the position, all but a confirmation of Ford’s unavailability. And then, they watched the Bucks sputter through a pitiful season this year. James and Williams can’t be blamed for the team’s poor showing; this is a team that overachieved with limited talent a year ago. But the Bucks played an unattractive (and ineffective) brand of basketball this season. They certainly lacked any sense of flair — something Ford brought to the court on a nightly basis.
Now, there is finally a sliver of hope once again for the former Longhorn. Yes, he has a long way to go; being cleared to shoot a basketball is far from playing a game. But for a young man who has seen his future in the sport of basketball flash before his eyes, the proclamation carries a great deal of significance.
Finally, it seems, things are slowly but surely starting to right themselves.
