Mobley to announce retirement from NBA

[Khalid80]

"EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Knicks guard Cuttino Mobley will retire from the NBA, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

The Knicks have called a press conference for Thursday afternoon at their training center, where Mobley will announce his decision. The person confirmed Mobley's decision to the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the player's behalf.

New York acquired the veteran guard from the Los Angeles Clippers last month, but he never played for the Knicks after a physical exam revealed a problem with his heart."

Very unfortunate for Cuttino. Damn the heart problems and diseases!

[ankle breaker]

he already did announced his retirement from the NBA just today in the knicks practice facility via press conference.

[Khalid80]

Knicks' Mobley retires due to worsening heart disease

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Knicks guard Cuttino Mobley retired from the NBA on Thursday because of heart disease that he said has gotten worse.

Mobley said doctors told him he faced significant risks if he kept playing. The 11-year veteran said by walking away now, he could live a long life.

Mobley announced his decision at a press conference at the Knicks' training center, where he confirmed he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder to pump blood, and the 33-year-old Mobley said he had no choice but to end his career.

"The specialists I've seen made it clear that my heart condition has gotten worse and I couldn't continue to play professional basketball without putting my health and life in serious danger," Mobley said. "As much as I want to keep playing in the NBA, I have no choice but to follow the advice of my doctors and step away from the league."

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in people under 30 years old and was linked to the deaths of former Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis and Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers.

The Knicks acquired Mobley last month from the Los Angeles Clippers -- a trade that may ultimately have saved his life. An EKG during his physical showed an irregularity with the heart, which Mobley already knew existed. The Knicks decided to perform an MRI exam, which revealed the more serious condition that previously had gone undetected.

Mobley then saw four specialists around the country, who performed additional tests and provided him literature about the disease that convinced him to stop playing.

"The doctors said to not chance it and I feel as though they're right, having an 8-year-old son, having a long life ahead of me, it's the smart thing," Mobley said. "It's a tough thing to swallow, but things in life happen, but you have to keep going."

Mobley averaged 16.0 points in 11 seasons with Houston, Orlando, Sacramento and the Clippers. He was expected to become the Knicks' starting shooting guard after the Nov. 21 trade.

The Knicks could have voided the deal because of the health concerns, but waived the physical requirement because the trade allowed them to move Zach Randolph's contract, freeing salary cap space for the summer of 2010.

"I thought this would be the perfect trade with him in it, but I would never put a player out there that's at the risk that he would be at," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.

"None of this is as important as somebody's life. None of it. Period," Walsh said. "So I'm glad that we had a doctor that put him through tests that showed it, because the risk was there."

Walsh said he wasn't sure yet what options the Knicks had to fill the vacant roster spot and would begin researching it Friday.

Mobley said he'd thought about the scene of Gathers collapsing on the court during a game. Mobley said it factored into his decision.

"Say if you were to play, the worry, the worrisome of people watching you, if you were to fall, or it's just an elbow or just an ankle, that's scary. And then every single day just being scared for you, I think that's a selfish thing, also," he said. "Even though you love something so much, and I am in love with basketball, but sometimes you have to get a divorce."

Thank God the checkups showed that Mobley had these serious heart conditions now cuz he might have ended up like Reggie Lewis (RIP)

[Khalid80]

he already did announced his retirement from the NBA just today in the knicks practice facility via press conference.

u just beat me to it

[mvblair]

Thank God the checkups showed that Mobley had these serious heart conditions now cuz he might have ended up like Reggie Lewis (RIP)

Absolutely.

Mobley had a reasonable career. He played well and tried to help all his teams.

[Basketball Player]

Kind of ironic, but whenever I saw him play he seemed to have a lot of heart.

[The_Big_Cat]

The trade of Mobley was a blessing in disguise. The physical revealed the depth of Mobley's condition. He has to quit or he will jeopardize his health.

[nickhailey]

ya

yup if he didnt get traded they would have never found it thats scary