Former National Basketball
Association player Cuttino Mobley sued Madison Square Garden LP,
parent of the New York Knicks, alleging that the team
discriminated against him based on what it perceived to be a
disability.

Mobley, who hasn’t played since the 2008-09 season, says
the Knicks ended his career by having him declared medically
ineligible to play because of a heart ailment, according to the
complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The Knicks said in a statement that Mobley’s lawsuit has no
merit.

Mobley, 36, was diagnosed in 1999 with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart wall, according to the
complaint. He had been medically cleared every year, by every
team he played for, subject to his signing a waiver of
liability, according to the document.

The Knicks, who were aware of his condition, agreed to
waive a physical examination of Mobley prior to trading for the
shooting guard in 2008, according to the complaint.

Instead of sending Mobley to the cardiologist who had
treated him for many years, the Knicks selected Mark Estes and
then Barry Maron who, according to the suit, were well-known
opponents of allowing players with Mobley’s condition to play.
Both said Mobley shouldn’t play.

The Knicks saved about $19 million by having Mobley
declared medically ineligible to play because insurance paid the
player’s salary, according to the complaint. The salary also is
forgiven from luxury tax payments, which teams pay for being
over the roster spending limit.

“The Knicks’ actions effectively deprived Mobley of the
ability to play professional basketball, not only for the
Knicks, but for the rest of his career,” according to the
complaint.

Mobley hasn’t officially retired and several teams
expressed interest in signing him but backed out because he had
been medically disqualified from playing for the Knicks,
according to the complaint. The teams weren’t identified.

The Knicks said in their statement that on the day of his
retirement, “Cuttino publicly stated that he had no choice but
to follow the advice of the doctors and step away from the
league.”

“Although we understand Cuttino Mobley’s frustration with
the effects of his illness, we are extremely disappointed in his
recent actions,” according to the team statement.

Mobley seeks unspecified monetary damages, 25 percent of
which he said he would donate to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association.

The disease killed Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics and
Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount University. The Knicks acquired
Eddy Curry in a 2005 trade with the Chicago Bulls, who had asked
the player to take a DNA test to determine whether he was
susceptible to the condition. Curry had missed games due to an
irregular heartbeat.

The case is Mobley v. Madison Square Garden LP, 11-08290,
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter on this story:
Scott Soshnick in New York at
ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net

New York is a city big on sports, and when great things happen to our favorite teams, the entire city can feel its momentum. This isn’t just a recent occurrence; sports have been such an incredible local passion since the beginning of sports history. Every New York team has had its bad moments, but they have also had those special moments when they do something that stuns the whole city. These extraordinary moments are what the people of New York City live for. Here are some of those moments throughout history.

New York Knicks win 1970 NBA Championship

The NY Knicks have been a beloved basketball team to the residents of New York City, dating back to 1946 when the team was established. The Knicks began their ’69-’70 season winning 19 games out of their first 20. As they battled their way through the playoffs and eventually into the Finals, the Knicks were determined to win the Championship against the Lakers. When Willis Reed injured his leg, fans feared they wouldn’t make it without him. But when he limped back onto the court for Game 7, they conquered and finally won their first NBA Championship ever.

New York Mets win 1986 World Series

When the Boston Red Sox had a dramatic win in the ALCS, the fans expected the Red Sox to win the World Series. They expected this even more when the Mets lost the first two games in the World Series. They went on to win Game 3 and 4 to tie the series, but then lost again in the fifth game. They needed to win the sixth game in order to have a chance, but they were up against pitcher Roger Clemens, who had dominated the entire season. The Mets were losing in the beginning of Game 6, but when the ball went between Bill Buckner’s legs when he bent down to retrieve it, Ray Knight was able to score the winning run for the Mets. It would be their second World Championship in their history.

New York Rangers win 1994 Stanley Cup

When the New York Rangers began their ’93-’94 hockey season, they hadn’t won a Stanley Cup in 54 years. They fought hard throughout the entire season, and when they finally made it to the Finals, they knew they had to fight even harder. They were up against the Vancouver Canucks in a desperate battle to win the Stanley Cup. During the Finals, there was a lot of “back and forth” going on, making fans wonder who would be the ultimate winner. Finally, in Game 7, the Rangers were winning 3-2 with five minutes left in the game. As the clock ticked down from 1.6 seconds, the Rangers made one last goal to win the Stanley Cup, ending 54 years of frustration.

New York Yankees win Game 4 and 5 in 2001 World Series

Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series were played in New York City, the home of the Yankees. Their fight for their next World Championship was against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and they desperately wanted the win. This was the World Series directly after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a tragedy that hit so close to home for the residents of New York City. Although the Yankees did not win the World Series in 2001, these two walk-off wins of the series were a symbolic win for both the team players and their New York City fans.

“Resiliency is something you only see when the moment is right, and in 2001, the Yankees proved they are one of the best teams in sports,” said Richard Corredor, a resident of Queens during the 9/11 attacks.

New York Giants win Super Bowl XLII in 2007

Super Bowl XLII was very important for the New York Giants to win, especially since they hadn’t won a Super Bowl since 1990. The New England Patriots, the team the Giants were up against for the Super Bowl, had a perfect season thus far that year. They were desperate to be the second team in NFL history to have a perfect season. Up until this point, the 1972 Miami Dolphins were the only team to achieve this. However, with 39 seconds left on the clock, the Giants were winning 17-14. With the Patriots giving it their all, the Giants were able to hold on until the end and win the Super Bowl.

New York City sports fans breathe for moments like these. Watching these significant games unfold is a treasure they hold very dear to their hearts. It is all-consuming, a rush unlike any other as they watch their favorite players in anticipation and pride. These surprising moments in sports history are all events that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Tarah DeSantis is a local of Queens in New York City and is an avid sports reader, viewer, and writer. With her knowledge of NYC sports teams, she can provide insight on sports’ most important moments.

MIAMI – LeBron James started it 15 months ago at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding when he advised the soon-to-be Knick that Anthony and Chris Paul should join forces with Amar’e Stoudemire in New York. That partnership, according to James, would give the trio their best chance of competing for an NBA championship.

So when it came time to pick teams for the South Florida All-Star Classics here on Saturday, James had an easy choice to make.

“Do you think Knick fans liked that?” Anthony asked. “I’m sure they did. I liked it.”

James gave Stoudemire, Anthony and Paul the opportunity to be teammates for one night at least. That the game was played at Florida International University and with Isiah Thomas in the building is no coincidence because Thomas, according to sources, helped the Knicks obtain both Stoudemire and Anthony and is working behind the scenes to bring Paul to New York as well.

Thomas, the coach at FIU, was instrumental in bringing Saturday’s game to the FIU campus and he seemed to have a hand in every aspect of the event. Proceeds from it were directed to Mary’s Court, an educational foundation named after his late mother. Thomas and his wife, Lynn, sat courtside while their son, Joshua, a New York-based disc jockey, provided the music.

The event was important for the Knicks because it marked the first time since April that Stoudemire had played in a competitive game. Stoudemire, who suffered a back injury prior to Game 2 against Boston, is probably a few weeks away from regaining his top form. But the fact that he’s playing again is an encouraging development.

“I thought he looked great,” Anthony said.

Stoudemire has been a regular on the FIU campus, working out with Thomas’ players and even attending classes with them. He even has a new nickname, “Renaissance Man,” which is what Thomas called Stoudemire on Saturday.

No one knows what title to give Thomas, who remains close friends with Garden chairman James Dolan and says he’ll always root for the Knicks. Thomas is probably something between the de facto general manager and an unpaid adviser.

When asked about the Knicks’ chances for the upcoming season, he agreed that Stoudemire and Anthony are the right building blocks.

“I think they have a chance to be extremely successful,” Thomas said. “Both of those men, Carmelo and Stoudemire even with Chauncey (Billups), their mentality is they want to win. Carmelo’s won in college. He understands how to win. They’re tough enough to go out and win and win big and have big moments in playoff situations.”

Billups is the one proven winner on the team, but he has an expiring contract, which many teams covet. For the Knicks to have a shot to trade for Paul, they’ll likely have to use Billups in a potential deal.

Under that scenario, the Knicks would have exactly what Miami has: three All-Stars and a legitimate chance to make a title run.

“With the talent of (Dwyane) Wade, James and (Chris) Bosh, if that’s the model, it’s going to be pretty tough for a lot of teams to (deal) with,” Thomas said.

Carmelo Anthony had surgery on his knee and elbow in May, after the New York Knicks were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, the forward revealed on Sunday.

Anthony participated in the Battle For I-95 as his team from Baltimore — starring Ohio native LeBron James and North Carolina-bred Chris Paul — fell to Philadelphia’s squad, led by Tyreke Evans, Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams. Afterward, when asked how he felt, ‘Melo revealed the clandestine surgeries. From Newsday‘s Alan Hahn:

It was the first time in his career that Anthony had agreed to any type of surgical procedure, which suggests how serious both must have been.

“Yeah, it was really bothering me,” Anthony said of his decision to have procedures on both joints in May. The team did not announce either surgery at the time.

Anthony wasn’t the only Knick banged up in the playoffs: Chauncey Billups missed most of the series, and Amar’e Stoudemire’s back left half of New York’s star duo limited. ‘Melo averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds and almost five assists per game during the four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

For more on the Knicks, visit Posting And Toasting and SB Nation New York.

This post originally appeared at SB Nation.

New York Knicks star forward Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) hurt his back in April before Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics. The New York Daily News reports that the injury still has not healed all the way.

A Knicks source tells the paper that Stoudemire, who took most of the month of July off in order to rest his back, is 90 percent healthy.

Stoudemire “is scheduled to resume workouts in Florida within the next couple of weeks,” the Daily News reports, but the source wouldn’t guarantee that Stoudemire would be able to take the court if the season starts on time.

The Knicks, of course, really hope the injury heals because Stoudemire’s contract for five years and $100 million isn’t insured due to his previous health problems.

Find out before your friends. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: New York Daily News

Related: Boston Celtics, New York Knicks

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AP)—Andy Rautins of the New York Knicks scored
all 15 of his points on 3-pointers to lead Canada to a 73-72 victory Dominican
Republic on Thursday in the Olympic qualifying tournament for the Americas.

Joel Anthony of the Miami Heat had eight points and 10 rebounds for Canada
(1-1), which led by 21 points. Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks had 17 points for
Dominican Republic (2-1), which is coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari.

In other games Thursday, Venezuela (1-2) beat Cuba (0-2) 106-69; Panama
(1-1) downed Paraguay (0-3) 89-86; and Puerto Rico, the only 3-0 team, defeated
Uruguay (0-2) 74-64.

Brazil and Argentina, both with 2-0 records, were off Thursday.

The top two teams in the 10-nation field receive berths in the London
Olympics. The next three teams advance to a final Olympic qualifier.

Rautins, the son of Canada coach Leo Rautins, led the long-range effort that
saw it go 10 of 23.

Francisco Garcia of the Sacramento Kings hit a 3-pointer to bring Dominican
Republic within one point late, but Canada held off the rally. Dominican
Republic was 6 of 22 from 3-point range.

“It was very clear that they took advantage of their 3-point shots and we
didn’t,” Dominican Republic’s Eulis Baez said.

Carlos Arroyo of the Boston Celtics had 19 points for Puerto Rico, while
J.J. Barea of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, added 14.

Jaime Lloreda, who played at LSU, had 34 points and 10 rebounds for Panama,
while Gary Forbes, who played last season for the Denver Nuggets, added 25
points.

Greivis Vasquez of the Memphis Grizzlies had 21 points to lead Venezuela to
its first win.

Pool play concludes Saturday. Eight of the 10 teams advance to the second
round.

The semifinals are Sept. 10.

There is an assumption that Isiah Thomas will be returning to the Knicks in some regard, after Donnie Walsh didn’t reach a contract extension with the team. Thomas remains involved in some manner with the team as a consultant-but-not-a-consultant type of thing.

He’s already said he won’t rejoin the team in an official capacity, but via Sports Radio Interviews, Thomas was asked about his future with the team since again, most seem to doubt he will rejoin the club in an official capacity.

Do you want to be back with the New York Knicks organzation?

“I don’t want to be the President of the New York Knicks. That’s not what I’m angling for. In terms of being in the NBA or working in an NBA organization I’ve said this before at some point in time I would like to return to the NBA and I would like to continue in the NBA, but at this time my focus is at FIU [Florida International University] and working in college and working with the kids that I’m working with.”

Why do you not want to be the President of the New York Knicks or for any team?

“I … not necessarily any team, but I would just say in this situation right now you know what with what went on with myself and my family and the toll that it took on just my family here in New York. It was just difficult for us and we had a very difficult time. I don’t know if I would want to go through that again.”

Let me just make this clear for the listeners out there. Are you trying to say that if your friend, the billionaire, Mr. Dolan, picked up the phone, called you and said ‘I want you back in the same position you had before you’d likely say no?’

“I probably would because I think I could help him … I would try to help him in other ways. I just don’t know if my skin … I don’t know if my family and myself … I don’t (know) if we could all go through that again. It was very difficult for all of us during that period of time and I wouldn’t want to go through that again.”

What about being the coach of the Knicks?

“Absolutely not.”

Cbssports.com for more

NEW YORK — Donnie Walsh dedicated three years to fixing the New York Knicks, all the while knowing the job would take much longer.

At first he wanted to stay on as the guy who finished it, to see them really contend for a title. But at age 70, Walsh realized he wasn’t up for the task. So when Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan wanted Walsh to commit to a multiyear extension, the longtime executive decided it was best not to return as Knicks president.

“I just to myself thought, ‘I don’t know that I’m going to be up to that, I don’t think that I can commit to that,’ because I’m getting older and I do this job only one way and that is full forward ahead,” Walsh said Friday on a conference call. “It’s 24-7 with me and I think that’s what it takes, to be honest.”

The Knicks announced in a statement that Walsh and Dolan mutually agreed that Walsh will not return when his contract expires at the end of June, a somewhat surprising departure and major loss for a team coming off its best season in a decade.

“The more I got into it, the more I realized the commitment is going to be at my age probably too much more than I want it to be and I don’t think I can do that, and that’s where I came from,” Walsh said.

So he leaves the Knicks with a playoff team again, one with two All-Stars under contract, but still far from a championship level.

“I’m not bailing,” Walsh said. “I wanted to see if I could get it closer to contending before I left, but I just don’t think I can commit the amount that I would have to commit here and I understand the franchise needs a commitment for more than one year.”

His departure opens questions about whether coach Mike D’Antoni will return for the final year of his deal, though Walsh indicated D’Antoni would stay.

“I know that he is the guy that can take this team to the next level,” Walsh said. “Mike wants to see the job through.”

Walsh apparently would have been back had he been willing to agree to stay for at least a couple of seasons, especially since the next one is in jeopardy because of the NBA’s labor situation. But he has battled health problems and was separated from most of his family, who remained in Indiana when he came to New York.

“I do miss my wife and my family, and this is a 24-7 situation, as a lot of GM situations are. This is even more intense,” Walsh said. “I’m running out of energy.”

Walsh spent three seasons in New York, leading a massive rebuilding effort that got the Knicks back into the playoffs this season following the acquisitions of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

But Dolan didn’t pick up his option for next season, and the two couldn’t agree on terms of an extension.

McHale takes reins

AP

HOUSTON — Kevin McHale missed the intensity of NBA competition and the Houston Rockets offered an ideal opportunity for him to plunge back in.