There are no hand signals this time.
This is proclaiming.
"I can't really put into words how excited I am," Doug Christie says.
And:
"I'm in the best shape of my life."
Christie is on the phone from his home in Seattle. Or maybe he's on cloud nine. Same thing.
He appeared in seven games in 2006-07 as a Clipper and seven games in 2005-06 as a Maverick, and he hasn't played for more than half a season since the 2004-05 split between the Kings and Magic. But he is adamant he will sign a free-agent deal, perhaps within two weeks.
In the summer of 36-year-old Penny Hardaway signing with the Heat, 37-year-old P.J. Brown being chased by title hopefuls in Phoenix and Dallas and 42-year-old Reggie Miller and 43-year-old Charles Oakley considering comebacks, Christie has firmly placed himself on the Graybeard Express.
"I'm in the best shape of my life."
Christie is on the phone from his home in Seattle. Or maybe he's on cloud nine. Same thing.
He appeared in seven games in 2006-07 as a Clipper and seven games in 2005-06 as a Maverick, and he hasn't played for more than half a season since the 2004-05 split between the Kings and Magic. But he is adamant he will sign a free-agent deal, perhaps within two weeks.
In the summer of 36-year-old Penny Hardaway signing with the Heat, 37-year-old P.J. Brown being chased by title hopefuls in Phoenix and Dallas and 42-year-old Reggie Miller and 43-year-old Charles Oakley considering comebacks, Christie has firmly placed himself on the Graybeard Express.
"I know for a fact that I will be back," he said. "I am thoroughly excited. I've been working out to make sure I'm ready. I feel fantastic."
Christie is 37 but feels, in his estimation, 10 or 11 years younger. He said he has two or three more NBA seasons in the body once known for its conditioning and durability. He isn't looking for a last-gasp chance.
Now all he has to do is get someone to believe he has one season left.
Christie said there have been talks with seven teams, although only two have had "real high interest." He would not name any of the clubs, only that one of the best chances is in the West and one is in the East. He did say there have been no conversations with the Kings.
The preference is to land with a championship contender, which only makes sense -- he gets a shot at a ring, just as it is unlikely a team in building mode would invest minutes in a 37-year-old wing. But it is not a concrete rule for Christie.
source : sacbee.com
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