I thought that the following excerpt from Dave Campbell's
Associated Press Article gives a small glimpse into some of the factors
that helped Fred Hoiberg come to the decision of his retirement.
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Though nobody has played in the NBA with a pacemaker, Hoiberg said
that his aortic root -- which was dangerously enlarged when he found
out a year ago during a routine life-insurance exam that it needed to
be fixed -- was the biggest concern.
"Even though the risk of something serious happening is very low, there is a risk," Hoiberg said.
His wife, Carol, and his four children -- ages 8 and younger -- ultimately meant too much.
"They
are the most important thing in the world to me, and I can't even
imagine how nervous they would be every time I stepped on the floor,"
he said. "Not only during games, but also every day in practice. I just
can't put my family through that."
He already gave his wife a
huge scare last summer, when he fainted face-first on a hardwood floor
at their home the day after the pacemaker was installed.
"I still
think about that incident almost every day, and I think about the look
on her face when I came to after being unconscious for two minutes,"
Hoiberg said. "I think about when I finally did come back, being in her
arms and her saying, 'Don't leave me.'
"I just can't imagine what that must have been like for her."
******************
I saw Fred at his Chaska home about a week after the above-described
incident and he was so weak that it was hard for him to speak and he
could barely move. To see Fred's progress over the last nine
months has been inspirational. The fact that Fred got himself in
shape to play again is incredible. I played a few three on three
games with him on my team during the past three months (we didn't miss
too many shots....ok...Fred didn't miss too many) and he looked
great. I guess right now everyone on the team is just happy for
Fred's decision to stay with our organization. Now he can take
his basketball knowledge upstairs and really continue to help build the
team and help this franchise through his basketball knowledge and his
leadership. Fred's wife, Carol and Fred's four children are a
huge part of the organization already as are Fred's parents who
routinely came to support the team even when Fred wasn't on the
court. Last year ESPN.com wrote an article that said Fred Hoiberg
may be the best shooter in the history of the NBA. When you lose such a
talented teammate who opened things up so much for KG, it's a
blow. But Freddy....and I know you're reading this because I've
told you about this blog.....I'll still be seeing you at the Target
center every day and I'll be knocking on your door in Chaska to get
some of your BBQ ribs at least once a month!! I'm coming to your
shooting camp too for some free throw consultations!!!