11/21/2007 - 11:12
A Scary Moment
by Tyson Chandler

I'm going to take tonight off, but I'll probably be back by Utah, the next game. I did some treatment this morning. What happens is, when you hyperextend it, it kinda messes with the nerves, so you basically gotta wake the muscles back up.

It was definitely a scary moment (Video). I had never had anything like that happen. When I went down and my knee hyperextended, everything went dead. I had no feeling on the whole bottom part of my leg and my foot. It was definitely scary and I was thinking the worst when I was laying on the ground.

But after the X-rays and the MRIs, everything came out negative, so that was a big positive for me.

After I got hurt, I had to go to the hospital to do the MRIs. And as I'm in the MRI, the nurse asked me if I wanted to listen to anything. I told her I wanted to hear the game. So she put the game on and I was listening to it and that's the worst ... play-by-play. Because you hear like, "Jannero Pargo driving down the lane, kicks it to David West..." and it's like, you're sitting there and you can't see anything. So you're like, "Did it go, did it go?" They're like, "Ohhhh, off to the right." It was driving me crazy while I'm in the MRI and I'm trying to be still and not move.

But my teammates did an excellent job getting back in the game. It's just so frustrating when you get hurt as a player and you gotta just sit there and listen to a part that you could have helped with. It's the worst. It's like being in the schoolyard, outside of the gate and watching one of your little brothers get beat up or something. It's the worst.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
For Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm probably going to go over Bobby's house. He ain't doing the cooking. His chef is doing the cooking. So, I'm gonna go over there and sit down with him. He has some of his family in. We got a late flight to Utah, so I'll probably be over Bobby's until the plane comes.

But my daughter and my wife are actually going back home for Thanksgiving. It's part of the job, but it's definitely tough, because I grew up where my whole family, no matter where you were, Thanksgiving is when we all got together. We all sat around the house, watched the football game, ate, laughed, joked ... The kids ran around the house. So, that's what I'm really used to. Christmas, you kinda spent in your own household, but Thanksgiving was the holiday when we all got together, so that's one thing I miss during my NBA career.

WHO I AM
I really want fans to get the chance to actually get to know me, Tyson Chandler the person, not just the basketball player. Because I think, a lot of times, fans just see a number (10 points per game, 11 rebounds per game). I think if fans actually knew who you were and your actual story, it would become more personal and you would root for that player even more, because you would actually know that person and know what he's been through in his life.

So I want you to know that I play for that kid that's in his backyard right now, taking his jumpshots by himself, with no father figure. It's just him and his mom and he's trying to do whatever it takes to get them out of that situation, and all he has is his ball.

My mom is my world. My mom met my stepfather when I was 12 and before that, it was just me and my mom. She worked two or three jobs. She changed me in and out of schools. I went to, I think, eight elementary schools in six years, because she was constantly trying to give me a better life and move to a better neighborhood. As she moved up in her job, we would have to move. It was hard enough being a big kid on campus, being taller than everybody. Every time the school finally accepted me and got over my height, it was time for me to change schools again.

I met my wife in L.A. We were introduced through mutual friends. And my daughter ... she's funny. She's starting to imitate everything I do now at this point. She's 17 months and she's a little copycat. It's hilarious.

To my fans from Chicago who commented in the last post, I appreciate your support. I had a great time while I was there. I know you're going it rough right now, but the Bulls have got a lot of great, young players and they'll bring it together.