By the time NBA All-Star break arrives each February, most players are excited about it. It allows their bodies and minds to get a much-needed break, and for them to get away from the game that consumes their life most of the year.
Until this season, it was just a long weekend.
LeBron James, the face of the NBA, and other stars pushed league officials to extend it, which is especially desired by those who participate in the game. All-Star Weekend is much more than just a game — it’s media availabilities, community service work, sponsorship appearances, and more. By the time participants travel home, they may have had a day or two to themselves.
This season, Pacers players (and staff), for example, had six full days to spend how they’d like. Many went home, like David West and Donald Sloan. C.J. Miles used the opportunity to propose (she said “yes!”) Rookie Shayne Whittington returned home to have his high school jersey retired, and tosee Western Michigan, his alma mater, play live.
Ian Mahinmi, sprained his right ankle early into the Pacers’ game against the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 2, is the exception. Contrary to what I thought, he wasn’t looking forward to the extended break.
Ian Mahinmi (right) chats with his former Pacers teammate, Jeff Ayres.
“I don’t really like that,” he said last week. “I don’t like to miss games, period. Especially before the All-Star break because then you got to find your rhythm back. I really don’t like that. For me, it’s bad timing and I hate it.
“It’s the worst time for me. I was feeling good, I was in a good rhythm before the injury happened.”
He finally felt back in rhythm, and in the flow of things, after sitting out 18 games due to another injury, a torn left plantar fascia.
That was essentially his break. Now, he’s just wanting to play.
“Right after the injury, I was telling coach I wanted to get back as soon as possible to get as much time game action in as possible before All-Star weekend,” he said.
Prior to the team’s Feb. 9th game against the San Antonio Spurs, the team who drafted him, Mahinmi took the floor almost three hours before tip-off to test it. He wasn’t mobile enough and couldn’t go. He did, however, register 19 minutes on Wednesday in New Orleans, their final game before the extended break.
“I’m feeling much better,” Mahinmi, who’s under contract with the team through the 2015-16 season, offered. “Obviously it’s a bad sprain.”
Mahinmi spent much of the All-Star break at his home in San Antonio, and he planned to rehab aggressively with his offseason trainers down there.
“I hate it,” he continued. “It’s the worst time possible.”