<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CLEVELAND - Drew Gooden's left ankle has been bothering him for weeks, limiting his effectiveness and, even, hurting his statistics somewhat in an important contract year. Some would question the Cavaliers forward's physical and fiscal sanity to play through pain night after night, twice even being forced from games after reinjuring the sprained ankle that he suffered nearly a month ago. They don't know about that Princeton game in 1999, though, the day that changed the way Gooden evaluates pain. A freshman at Kansas, where he later would become an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year, Gooden was being bothered by a hip pointer. The Jayhawks were set to play Princeton just before Christmas break. With plans to head back home to California, he decided that he wanted to sit and not risk playing. Kansas won by 15 points, but the pain of not playing ended up lasting longer than the discomfort in his hip. ``I remember coach (Roy) Williams taking me into his office and telling me if I didn't think I could play it was fine, but that I could never replace that game,'' Gooden said. ``As I got older and matured, that really stuck with me, and you know, I always regretted not playing in that game.'' Gooden has only missed three games in the past three seasons and none in the 108 games since he was traded to the Cavs. The three missed games were due to a staph infection in his leg, which he played with for two weeks before the severity was discovered. His rookie season he missed 12 games with the Orlando Magic due to a dislocated big toe, but he came back for the playoffs while having to wear a painful metal splint. ``Ever since my freshman year, I've looked at injuries differently,'' Gooden said. ``Whether it is a nick or a bruise or even excruciating pain, I've never wanted to miss a game.'' Gooden first sprained the ankle Nov. 28 against the Minnesota Timberwolves then tweaked it in one way or another in the next four games. He reaggravated it again Dec. 17 against the Miami Heat, missing the second half. He then did it again in the Cavs' victory over the Indiana Pacers last week, having to go to the locker room to get it treated and retaped before returning to the floor. ``It has taken away some of my energy and the way I play, but it is getting better,'' Gooden said. ``But I know my teammates need me so I haven't wanted to miss any time.''</div> http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/sports/13492379.htm
