Freak Knee Injury Sidelines Manning
Danny Manning, who gambled by passing up more lucrative offers to play for the Phoenix Suns, tore a knee ligament during practice Monday and will miss the rest of the NBA season.
Team president Jerry Colangelo said surgeons would rebuild the anterior cruciate ligament of Manning’s left knee in two weeks, after the swelling subsides. Manning stepped on the foot of teammate Joe Kleine during the morning workout.
“He heard the pop in his knee, and he went down in severe pain,” Colangelo said. He said an MRI revealed a complete tear.
Team doctor Richard Emerson said the 6-foot-10 forward requested that he and Steve Lombardo, who repaired Manning’s right knee after he tore that ACL in January 1989, perform the operation. The earliest Manning could play again is October, and rehabilitation could take a year.
Manning played in 26 games as a Los Angeles Clippers rookie before hurting his right knee six years ago, but he got into 71 the next season. Colangelo said the injuries appeared to be similar.
“But every injury is a little bit different; you can’t just rely on the history,” Colangelo said. “Let’s be hopeful that there aren’t any complications.”
“It certainly gives us a big hole to fill,” said coach Paul Westphal, whose team has stayed even with Orlando for the NBA’s best record (36-10) despite missing point guard Kevin Johnson most of the season. “You really can’t replace a guy like that, but we’ll do the best we can.”
Manning played in all 46 games this season, his first with the Suns after leaving the Atlanta Hawks. A former No. 1 draft pick (1988) and two-time All-Star, Manning passed up his chance to command an estimated $5 million per year as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Suns for $1 million.
Colangelo said Manning knew he would be taken care of.
“He came here at great sacrifice,” Colangelo said. “He came here because he felt this is where he wanted to be, an opportunity to play with a team that would contend for a championship. Then the bad news today. My response to all of that is very simple: that sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Manning had started 19 games, including two at center and the last four in a row, averaging 23 points and 8.8 rebounds in those contests. Earlier, Westphal liked Manning coming off the bench.
His shooting improved markedly in the last 16 games, when he hit 57 percent of his shots. For the season, he’s 10th in the NBA at 55 percent.
Before leaving for Dallas and tonight’s game against the Mavericks, the Suns activated rookie Antonio Lang from the injured list, a move Colangelo said covered “the next 48 hours.” He said he was investigating other moves.