You know, if Doug Christie doesn’t catch on with another NBA team next year, the likelihood of the Doug & Jackie reality show becomes that much stronger.
From Florida Today’s John Denton :
Injured guard Doug Christie said Wednesday that it would be “extremely difficult” for him to return to the Orlando Magic next season and he also openly questioned the truthfulness of general manager John Weisbrod in a 35-minute rant.
Wearing a cast on his surgically repaired left ankle and flanked by his wife and agent, Christie (above) conducted a news conference via satellite from Seattle with WFTV-Channel 9 and Florida Today. He said he hoped to clear up the reasons why he hasn’t been with the team since he was put on the injured list March 5. Also, he bashed Weisbrod and the organization for allegedly not backing him when questions arose about his absence from the team.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult,” Christie said when asked if wanted to return to Orlando. “It’s looked at as, ‘(Christie) doesn’t like Orlando and doesn’t want to be there.’ That couldn’t be farther from the truth. But from the standpoint of a professional atmosphere and a job, it would be very difficult to come back there and play under the circumstances that I have been put through for the last four months.”
Weisbrod chuckled at the claims that he has not supported Christie.
“The ironical thing is that I’ve done nothing but defend the kid,” Weisbrod said. “If anything, the fans, media and even his own teammates have wondered why I have been so easy on him.
“I’m sure he’s upset the way he’s been depicted in the media. But I came back from our meeting in New York and said exactly what his injury was. The reality is I’ve allowed him to go back to Seattle and conduct himself throughout this rehabilitation the way he wanted. I’m the one person in Orlando who has his back and I’m the guy he’s taking shots at now.”
Christie and his agent, Bradley Marshall, are accusing Weisbrod of being vague about the veteran player’s whereabouts during the past month in an attempt “somehow keep a blur over this trade and why it was done.” Marshall, who held up a bag full of bone fragments removed from Christie’s ankle, also accused the Magic of engaging in “an attempt to scourge (Christie’s) character.”
“John Weisbrod started making some statements that I don’t think are appropriate,” Marshall said. “You don’t make the statement, ‘I don’t know where he’s at,’ or ‘as far as I know he’s up in Seattle.’ You don’t make the statement in New York that you are going back to Orlando to clear everything up and then not do that. You don’t make those kinds of statements. He knew exactly what the conditions were of this man’s injury.