After I posted about James Singleton's status as a 'Distant Future Star' according to Dave Berri and Wages of Wins, I went looking for news of Jumpin' James since I did not see him on Tau Ceramica's active roster. I found the news, but it's all bad.
James blew out his knee in the final of the Spanish Supercup (a single elimination tournament held prior to the beginning of the ACB's regular season, I think). I've only found Spanish language accounts so far, and there are plenty of those on the ACB website. Using Babelfish translations, here's what I think I know:
- The injury occurred Sept. 29
- He has damage (at least damage, probably tears, but again, it's all in Spanish) to two ligaments, seems like ACL and LCL. There is also meniscus damage
- The surgery occurred yesterday, Oct. 11
- He's expected to be out at least 6 months
- The surgery was performed in Spain, but he'll be returning to the states to rehab when he's able to travel
Here's the automated Babelfish translation of the latest news (you can get the gist):
The wing-pi'vot of the Ceramic TAU, James Singleton, who today was operated successfully by doctor Mikel Sanchez in Clinic USP the Hope of Vitoria, will take a minimum of six months in recovering if all march as planned. The American player injured itself the past of gravity 29 of September during the final party of Supercopa of Spain, celebrated in the locality vizcaína of Barakaldo, between the Ceramic TAU and iurbentia Bilbao Basket. The traumatólogo Mikel Sanchez explained in average afternoon of today, in the course of a press conference celebrated in the same medical center, that the player had a breakage of the ligament crossed previous in his right knee, like more serious injury. "we have seen that also it had a small desinserción of the internal menisco, without greater importance, and esguince weighs of the internal lateral ligament", added to Mikel Sanchez. In the operation, that was carried out with epidural anesthesia by doctors Mikel Sanchez, Jorge Guadilla and Juan Azofra, with the attendance of galen of the baskonista club, Alberto Fernandez, one practiced to him "plastia" of ligament crossed "the isquiotibiales sinews fixed to fémur and tibia". The surgery, carried out by means of a artroscopia by space of 75 minutes, passed without problems and, except for complications, the player of the Ceramic TAU will take "about six months in recovering, after to it to have applied him the rich sanguineous plasma in growth factors", according to stressed doctor Mikel Sanchez. "Unfortunately I must confirm the terms of recovery that gave in its day the doctor of the TAU, Alberto Fernandez, since, although everything is variable according to each patient, is necessary to count around half year, although could go ahead just a little bit", needed the specialistic vitoriano traumatólogo in pathologies knee. Although the player of the Alava equipment already advanced in the morning of today that had hopes of being able to dispute the final phase of the Glass of the King, anticipated for next February in Vitoria, Mikel Sanchez almost discarded it of plane. "Nothing is impossible, but, more likely, not", it emphasized galen. James Singleton will leave the east clinic Saturday in the morning, to immediately initiate the exercises of rehabilitation under the direction of Alberto Fernandez, doctor of the Ceramic TAU, and during the first month he will work in the Alava capital, later to march, probably, to his native country.
This just sucks for James. I mean, if I try to look at the ligaments as half un-damaged, I'm sure he was being well-paid (Tau is a TOP team and he was there to replace Luis Scola). But most European contracts are for a year. James is going to be in the position of being completely out of the NBA for a year, and looking for a new contract next summer following major knee surgery.
Add him to the list of Clippers were pulling for.
