<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Tough break. That's how Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley reacted to the loss of his franchise player, Pau Gasol, for training camp and the start of the NBA's regular season. o, this wasn't Heisley's attempt to provide a cute pun. No, this wasn't Heisley sounding unsympathetic. Gasol suffered a partial fracture in his left foot during the FIBA World Championships last week, leaving team president Jerry West and coach Mike Fratello a bit flustered. Heisley, on the other hand, chose to immediately focus on the reality of it all. Gasol will continue to play for his native country and the Griz can do little about it. They can only deal with the consequences -- the return of an improved or damaged player. In this case, Gasol will soon undergo surgery to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. "I don't know what you can do. It does no good to rant and rave about it," Heisley said, adding that he still is disappointed. "It's part of the breaks of the game. I'm sure Jerry and Mike are bitterly disappointed. Pau is extremely important to our team as he is to Spain. It's just a terrible break. "But I don't think it's a career-threatening injury. I think they'll have to put a pin in it, and he'll be out 2-3 months. That means things will be tough for us the first couple months of the season." Gasol told media following the World Championships that he would continue to represent his country in international tournaments. Gasol and Heisley have spoken about the issue several times in the past. Heisley, though, admitted he's dealing with mixed emotions about allowing NBA players to compete on the international stage regardless of nationality. Gasol is in the midst of a maximum ($86 million) contract with the Griz. "Injury is what everybody is concerned about with players signed to huge contracts and guys playing in international tournaments," Heisley said. "Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade could have gotten injured also. You have to take a hard look at it if you're the owner because you're taking all the risks." Still, injuries know no timetable. </div> Source
