Spaniards Blame Raptors

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The Raptors announced last night that Jorge Garbajosa, their Spanish forward who saw a world-renowned foot and ankle specialist in Baltimore yesterday, requires surgery on his injured left leg, at least in the opinion of the Toronto medical staff.</p>

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There will be red tape to cut through before anyone's cut open; the club is still awaiting a written report from the Baltimore specialist, Dr. Mark Myerson. So whether the impending operation will end Garbajosa's season isn't clear. What is without dispute is that in Garbajosa's native Spain, where he is a beyond-reproach hero, media coverage has been making the Toronto franchise out as the villain.</p>

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"The Raptors have a bit of a grudge (against Garbajosa)," Spanish centre Pau Gasol said a while back, summing up the Spanish spin on things.</p>

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The unsubstantiated spewing continued yesterday when Jose Calderon, the Raptors' Spanish point guard, said that Garbajosa told him this summer that Toronto's team doctors agreed with Garbajosa's decision to play in September's European championship. That's a stretch at best. -- <font color="#000000">Toronto Star</font></p>

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[*]Yesterday, Raptors guard Jose Calderon let on that Garbajosa had been participating in Spanish national team practices for five weeks before the European championship started on Sept. 3. Given that the Raptors had cleared Garbajosa only for rehabilitative training (non-contact basketball), it's an issue that could get sticky.
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Similarly, about a month after Garbajosa was allowed to begin weight-bearing exercise, it was discovered that screws holding his leg together had shifted, further proof that his return to training was anything but slow and steady.</p>

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Which brings us to a spot that no player as proud as Garbajosa ever wants to be: He's done for the season without having played a meaningful moment. And it's ironic that the qualities the Raptors value so highly - his passion, loyalty and tenacity, not to mention the pain threshold of wood - are those that have likely cost him his season, if not more. -- <font color="#000000">Toronto Globe and Mail</font></p>

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[*]Garbajosa was placed on the inactive list last Tuesday prior to the Raptors' loss in Dallas and will remain there indefinitely. He had undergone an MRI on Saturday in Toronto and the results of that MRI revealed some sort of abnormality that the Toronto staff could not identify.

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In order to take part in the European championship, the Spanish federation agreed to purchase a $1-million insurance policy that would cover Garbajosa's contract in the event of an injury.</p>

That policy expires Friday. -- <font color="#000000">Toronto Sun</font></p>

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