<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Allan Houston yesterday confirmed The Post's report he'll retire soon after the season opener if he's not healthy enough to compete.</div> New York Post (Registration Required) Sorry, that's all I have. I'm not registered to the post so they only gave me two sentences. Anyway, back on topic: Houston will retire if he's not healthy for training camp. If Houston is healthy, we have the best shooter on the team who is still as clutch as they come. That's who the Knicks really needed last year, to close out games. If he's not healthy, that means the Knicks would have saved more money than they would have if they used the amnesty rule on him. So the Knicks would get rid of two bad contracts with this move. Also, this is a press conference of Houston where he talks about his progress and feelings about possibly being waived: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NEW YORK, August 15, 2005 -- Knicks guard Allan Houston held a conference call with the New York media on Monday afternoon regarding his readiness for next season and his feelings about the possibility of him being waived under the one-time amnesty provision of the new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Following is a transcript of his comments: On the chances playing on day one of training camp: It is really hard for me to say right now. I know that again I know I?m doing more than I have been able to do in a while. My judgement is on the progress that I have been making. I can?t say well, I?ll be there on day 1, I may be there on day 1. I just can?t answer that question. On the difference at this time making a comeback, compared to last season: It?s progress. Just because I haven?t been playing for a while doesn?t mean my career is over. I?ve made progress and I know its hard for people to see that. All people see is if I?m playing or not. In my mind, I continue to make progress and if I have not made progress or if I had gotten to the point where it had gotten worse, then I wouldn?t have been working as hard as I have been working. I?ve been working since almost last season to get back, and so I judge it all on me making progress. It hasn?t been at a very very fast pace, but there has been progress. Now I?m at a point where I?m ahead of where I was last year at this point. On knowing when he was safe from the ?Allan Houston Rule?: I communicated with the Knicks and I planned on being back and if I can?t get back to the level I wanna get back to, then I will consider it?. retiring. That is what I have communicated to them. And at that point, there was nothing guaranteed, and I felt that there might be a good chance of me still remaining here. I was prepared for it, I was definitely prepared for it. You have to be it?s realistic. I have been here 12, 13 years and I understand the business. The team has made changes already in preparation of me leaving and I can understand that. Again, I still believe I can play and for me I had to do whatever I had to do to get back. I think there is trust. I tried to be honest and direct with everybody and I think for the most part and that?s all I can do. The thing everyone knows is that I have a lot of pride and I don?t wanna go out and play, unless I am helping the team. There was a trust that if Allan was back and he can get back out there, that?s the way he?s gonna be. Otherwise, I also was honest in saying if I can?t, then its that time for me. On whether he feels he has to prove something to the team and to the front office: We all learned a lot. It was something that was tough for everybody to go through. The last thing I want was for it to be a distraction for the team not to be sure about, and that?s why the way that Mr. Dolan handled it, I think, is the best way of doing it. Because he allows me to come back and he has trusted me and basically that I can do it, and if I can?t, then he?s trusting enough to say I can?t, but I believe that I can. I don?t think we?ll have to go through that anymore. On whether he is embarrassed by the one-time amnesty provision being nicknamed the ?Allan Houston Rule?: I think it?s an honor to have a rule named after you, being an overpaid injured athlete. [laughs] No, I?m just kidding. I don?t consider it embarrassing because I think that you have to realize that a lot of this is business. I have been in the league long enough to understand that it is business and that people make decisions and in the NBA and the league, they make decisions and rules in order for everyone to profit, not just the NBA. That?s just how it is. Nobody intends on being injured, it just happens. When that happens, and nobody has control over it, and that?s just the way it is. </div> The Rest: Knicks.com
Here's the NYPost source if any of you wanna read it... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">August 16, 2005 -- Allan Houston yesterday confirmed The Post's report he'll retire soon after the season opener if he's not healthy enough to compete. It was those words to James Dolan, and Larry Brown's support, that swayed the Knicks into giving Houston and his arthritic knees one last crack at training camp. The Knicks could have saved $39.8M in luxury tax by waiving Houston, but stand to save much more if he files for medical retirement. "I communicated with the Knicks I plan on being back," Houston said. "But if I can't get back to the level where I want to get back, I would consider retiring. I felt there was a good chance of me remaining here after that conversation. . . . I was honest in saying if I can't, it's time for me. But I'm believing I can." Houston, who's doing on-court drills, still can't say if he'll be ready to participate fully in the Knicks' first practice Oct. 5. "I know right now I'm doing more than I've been able to do in a while," he said. "I can't say I'll be there Day 1, but it may be sooner. Just because I haven't been playing for a while doesn't mean my career's over." </div>
I wish the knicks would've let him go under amnesty. But his retirement can only help the knicks. GOOD BYE BUM!!!!!!! GL NY!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting michiganave17:</div><div class="quote_post">I wish the knicks would've let him go under amnesty. But his retirement can only help the knicks. GOOD BYE BUM!!!!!!! GL NY!</div> Ummm...why? I dont quite see how waiving Houston or anybody else would help the Knicks. Houston retiring doesnt help the Knicks win games either. Isiah would have looked mighty foolish if Houston started draining playoff jumpers somewhere else not that he doesnt look foolish already after the huge mess he's made. The entire amnesty was just a way to save the NBA owners cash nothing more nothing less. The best thing the Knicks can hope for is Houston to be healthy(that and Isiah getting fired). If he's not then the chances are the Knicks will be in the lottery again next season. It's as simple as that. By the way how can you call Houston a bum? Anyway I think Isiah Thomas should be fired.
