<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class="bi">Legit Injury</div> <div> <span style="font-style: italic">Oct 19</span> - Isiah Thomas said he didn't know if Jerome James' knee troubles will prevent him from playing this season.</p> </p> But Thomas says the pain and swelling James is dealing with as a result of surgery he had in 1999 is a "legitimate injury." If it weren't, Thomas added, "my conversation and tone would be drastically different." -- <font color="#000000">Newsday</font></p> </p> </p> [*]Knicks center Jerome James needs surgery on his ailing left knee but is hoping to delay it until after the season. James said four screws in the knee -- inserted during reconstructive surgery in 1999 -- have come loose and are causing extreme irritation. [*] </p> The problem was discovered last season, but it did not become a debilitating problem until the summer, when James twisted the knee during a workout.</p> If there is no improvement soon, James said he would probably schedule surgery to remove the screws. -- <font color="#000000">New York Times</font></p> </p> </div></p> </div>
