The Little Engine

Sad news for the basketball world today, but even more-so, this is some sad news for me. TJ Ford recently told reporters and the whole basketball world that he was going to step away from the game. After taking another big blow in a recent contest versus the Knicks, it was evident that his basketball career was coming to a close. He is and will always be one of my favourite players, let alone favourite Raptors ever. And although he isn't one of the household superstars in our game today, I, along with many others, look at him as an inspiration story.

Do you remember TJ in his days at Texas University? He made history for the school and for the NCAA. He was undoubtedly one of the best up and coming players. A First Team All-American and named the Naismith College Player of the Year! He was the first basketball player to get his jersey retired by the University of Texas. The future was so bright for him that only he could stop it.

Do you remember him being drafted 8th overall in what is the one of, if not, the best draft in NBA history? Scouts raved about his potential to become one of the biggest stars in the NBA. His small stature was not a factor. His quickness and his play-making ability was off the charts. His capability of running a team was so superb that he was compared to the likes of Magic and Bird. Now, that's some company to be a part of. He was eventually named to the All-Rookie 2nd team but he completed only 55 games.

The memories go by too fast that only a few of us will remember all the accolades he received. I doubt many people remember of even knew that he was a part of those things. Even I needed to do my research here.

But, there is one thing that all of us will always remember. It's the dreaded spinal cord injury he suffered in his rookie year. This was the turning point in his young career. This was where his world spun and looked as if it was the end. It looked very unlikely that he would be able to return to full strength on the court. The injury may have jeopardized his career altogether and all the potential that everyone saw, faded away.

He missed the whole entire 2005 campaign recovering from the spinal cord injury. It seemed as if the whole basketball world had forgotten about him but he worked everyday for as long as he could. He was determined to make a comeback and put himself onto the spotlight again.

In the 2005-2006 season, he made his miraculous comeback! It didn't even look like he missed a beat. His quickness was still there and he was playing at an all-time high. No one expected it. Or at least, no one expected it as soon as it was. He defeated the odds and went on to average a solid 12.2 ppg, 6.6 apg, and 1.4 stls. He was then shipped to my Toronto Raptors and his years there were probably the best of his career!

I remember him running up and down the court and Chuck always raved about his motor. He did not stop. He was giving 110% every game and he excelled as the starting point guard. The "little engine" was a nickname that I knew him as. I loved watching him play. He meshed with Bosh quite well and we won the Atlantic Division for the first time in our history! He was a big part of it. He and Jose Calderon created the best point guard duo in the NBA and it looked like the sky was the limit for the team! Despite losing in a 6 game series to VC and the Nets, the Raptors were primed to make some noise for years to come!

Sadly, the next year was kind of a setback. It all happened because of another injury. This time, Al Horford smacked TJ Ford on a fastbreak by accident and he fell hard. That injury sidelined him for numerous games and it wasn't the same after that. Colangelo dealt him to Indiana in a blockbuster trade that saw Jermaine O'neal come to the Raptors. TJ Ford did okay at best in his first season as a Pacer but then slowly faltered. Indiana was tough for him and his minutes diminished game by game to the point where he was a DNP on occasional nights. There were some questions about his attitude and his capability to adapt to the lack of playing time but he fought through it. He then signed with Spurs this past off-season and looked good. He was signed to fill the backup point guard role and to mentor rookie Cory Joseph.

Unfortunately, another hard fall and emotional scare on Wednesday was the last straw. He was knocked down by Baron Davis and then inadvertently stepped on by teammate Tiago Splitter. He lied down on the court for several minutes before being helped off.

This is some hard news to digest because of all the things TJ Ford went through. If he didn't get injured in his rookie year, there would be no doubt that he'd be one of the better point guards in our game today. If he didn't get hit by Horford, there would be no doubt in my mind that Calderon would be the one moved. I really loved his time in Toronto as well as in the NBA. He was an exciting player to watch. A true inspiration because of the things he went through. He's definitely going to be missed. He showed that even though it may seem like its over, it really isn't. Perseverance and hard work brought him back to the game he loved. I hate seeing someone like him to have his career cut short because of injuries.Watching the retirement announcement earlier today really moved me. I'm gonna miss this guy!

There is definitely more gas in the little engine.  He said that we won't see the last of him and I'm sure of it.