Last year, whilst in his sole season with the Clippers, NBA journeyman Jared Dudley was hobbled with a fractured knee, a pain you yourself could* simulate if you just so happened to have some hammers laying about. I've had one before, and it hurt, though odds are you could've guessed that without any clarification. Being sedentary with one is bad enough, but playing basketball on it? That sounds pretty miserable. Still, that's exactly what Dudley did last season, and he blames the injury for the fact that literally all his numbers across the board dipped from the season before. Again, to anyone who's ever fractured their knee, that would make total sense.
According to the former Clipper/current Buck, he was asked by Doc Rivers to play on the broken bone. At this point you may note the irony in "Doc" Rivers' nickname. Dudley said he originally thought the injury was tendonitis, and couldn't bend his knee at a 90 degree angle. Dudley recalls relaying that news to the Clippers' coach, saying:
"I basically went to Doc Rivers and said, ‘Hey, I’ve never had to deal with this, I can’t bend my knee, all my shots are short, I can’t move laterally, I need to sit out.’ At that time Matt Barnes was out with a calf injury and J.J. Redick was out with a herniated disk and he said, ‘Hey, I need you to give me 10-15 games and when those guys come back, I’ll give you a rest."
Dudley also stated that it was his understanding that the selfless/non-actual-doctor-recommended move would result in returning to L.A. But shortly afterward he learned the harsh realities of the business of professional sports when he got dealt to Milwaukee.
*but should not
[via NBC Pro Basketball Talk]
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