Indiana Pacers Blogs  |  You, Me And My Knee  |  

The day has arrived that I can finally say I'm back.

As long as I don't trip and hurt myself warming up, I'm going to play tonight for the first time in 10 months. What a long road it has been, but I feel great about the time and effort I've put in and now it's time to get back to doing the thing I love most.

So much has gone into this process and I have so many people that have helped me along the way. How ironic that I come back a day after Thanksgiving.

I have a lot of people that I need to give thanks to, starting with my family for their unwavering support, the surgeons who fixed my knee and looked after me throughout the last year, specifically Dr Steadman and our own Dr. Tim Hupfer, our medical staff featuring Josh Corbeil, Carl Eaton and Dan Dyrek -- these guys worked on me day-in and day-out and were always there for me when I needed them. In addition, Shawn Windle and Andy -- his assistant in the weight room -- helped me get the strength back in my legs.

I couldn't go without thanking my teammates and coaches and everyone within the Pacers organization who have shown so much patience and encouragement. I really lucked out in playing for an organization that puts the health of a player above anything else. Never once was I asked to play by a certain date or rushed back too soon. There are a lot of teams that you can't say that about, therefore I am forever grateful. I'd also like to thank our loyal fans who have been so supportive as I've battled back. Thank you for your well wishes and efforts to raise my spirits.

Finally, I have to thank the one person who has been there with me literally every step of the way. That's my wife, Sarah, who has put up with everything: from bad moods to always being on my schedule and making so many sacrifices for me. She has been a saint. When she said "I do" to '"through sickness and health" I don't think she envisioned helping me put my socks on, getting me out of bed and helping me go to the bathroom.

But she has done it all and never complained one bit. I cannot thank her enough for her incredible support and know that I'll never be able to truly repay her.

Thanks to all my avid followers on this blog. I've really enjoyed writing and keeping those who are interested, up to date with my progress. I guess I can say it's been a pleasure but I don't want to have to do it again.

Without further ado, I'd like to wish myself luck by simply saying, "Break a Leg."