Curry out at least 4-6 weeks with hamstring injury

By foxsports
Published

Eddy Curry is limping to the finish of his New York Knicks career.

The oft-injured center will miss at least four weeks with a strained right hamstring, the third straight year he was sidelined early in training camp.

''You hate it. He just can't get over the hump,'' Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Monday.

Curry was hurt during practice Sunday and had an MRI exam Monday that confirmed the injury. The Knicks said recovery time is a minimum four to six weeks and that Curry is not expected to travel with the team on its trip to Europe for exhibition games in Italy and Paris.

Curry was hospitalized with an illness on the eve of training camp two years ago and tore a calf muscle on the opening day of practices last season. He never recovered to regain a spot in the rotation, playing in just 10 games over those two seasons.

D'Antoni refused to write Curry off yet, but the center who hovers around 300 pounds has never been a natural fit in the coach's offensive system and was probably already way down the depth chart. Curry is in the final year of his contract and is unlikely to return next season - and the Knicks would likely trade him before then if a team was interested in his $11.3 million expiring contract.

Curry's fitness has been a problem throughout the last few years. Team president Donnie Walsh said last week he gave Curry his word that he wouldn't bother him during the summer, leaving it up to the center to return in shape.

Curry chose to work out on his own while many of the players started returning a month ago to do it together. Forward Amare Stoudemire said after the first of Monday's two practices that the drills during training camp didn't seem so tough because many players had already played themselves into condition.

''That's kind of common sense. If you've worked hard for a month, then obviously it's a little less impact,'' D'Antoni said. ''I'm not smart enough to know why or the reason (for Curry's injury), but we've just got to deal with the situation and go forward.''