Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 25, 1993 TAG: 9312250077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SACRAMENTO, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
The 22-year-old Hurley, wearing a festive Santa's cap and tinted glasses, offered a wan smile to onlookers as a nurse pushed him to the entrance of University Medical Center, where his parents waited with a car.
He said one word as he left, softly answering "fine" to a reporter who asked how he felt.
"His lungs have to heal. He's got to get therapy on his knee," said Hurley's father, Bob Hurley Sr.
The Sacramento Kings' point guard and No. 1 draft pick would remain in Sacramento "for a while" with his mother before heading home to New Jersey, Hurley Sr. added.
The family planned to celebrate Christmas together in Sacramento; Hurley Sr. said he hoped to return to New Jersey on Sunday.
"Our Christmas is here, everything is here," he said. "Getting Bobby home is the next step."
Doctors recommended that Hurley avoid flying until he recuperates further, saying a sudden loss of cabin pressure could affect his condition.
Hurley wore braces on his right leg and left arm and shoulder. His braced leg extended, he sat in the right front passenger seat, which was pushed all the way back.
Ironically, he put on his seat belt. At the time of his crash, he did not use a seatbelt, as required by law.
The former two-time All-American at Duke was injured Dec. 12 when his light truck collided with a station wagon about a mile from Arco Arena following a game with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Hurley was thrown 100 feet from his vehicle into a water-filled roadside ravine.
The driver of the other vehicle, Dan Wieland, 37, a house painter, suffered a broken leg. The cause of the wreck is under investigation.
Hurley also suffered a fractured shoulder blade, knee injuries, a compression fracture in the lower back and a soft-tissue back injury.
He underwent eight hours of surgery following the crash and was kept in the intensive care unit for a week. Doctors described his recovery to date as "remarkable and dramatic."
The player also has a torn ligament in his right knee. Hurley Sr. said reconstructive surgery was planned after his son recovered from the other crash-linked injuries.
Doctors said Bobby Hurley may be able to return to the court next year, if he recovers from the knee surgery as expected. Doctors described his recovery to date as `remarkable and dramatic.'
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB