Ex-NBA guard Cuttino Mobley spoke to Paul George on George’s podcast, “Podcast P with Paul George.” He talked about the misdiagnosis of a heart condition during a physical when he was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the New York Knicks in 2008, which brought his successful career to a premature end.
Mobley had spent four seasons with the Clippers up to that point. At 33 years old in 2008, he was diagnosed with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during his physical with the Knicks. He was traded in exchange for Zach Randolph.
Mobley opened up about the pain of his early retirement, along with other stories from his playing days, in the interview.
Cuttino Mobley Reflects On Misdiagnosis Of Heart Condition and Final Game Against Kevin Durant
On the podcast with George, Mobley talked about his final game for the Clippers against NBA great Kevin Durant. “My last game ever was November 2000 in OKC, I had 27 against KD and I was just getting my groove.”
He then described the circumstances of being traded by the Clippers just when he was starting to click with point guard Baron Davis. “It was BD’s first year (Baron Davis), playing in a style where BD’s pushing the ball a lot, was right up my alley… Ironically, when we got to Philadelphia, next game, they told me don’t suit up, and you got traded… it shocked me.” That trade led to the eventual misdiagnosis of the heart condition.
After the diagnosis, Donnie Walsh, the Knicks GM at the time, still went ahead with the deal. The trade was mainly made so the Knicks could acquire Mobley’s expiring contract and reset their cap space for the next season’s free agency. But Mobley’s forced retirement, due to the misdiagnosis, ended up hurting the Knicks that year and ended Mobley’s career for good.
Mobley continued, “It was a misdiagnosis, right? And I’m fighting to prove I’m fine. But by the time you find out it’s a misdiagnosis, it’s a year and a half later, you can’t play no more.”
Mobley later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Knicks, claiming it was a “money play to get certain individuals off the books.”
Although the case was dismissed, it had to be a frustrating time for Mobley, knowing he could still play at a high level.
Mobley was a strong two-way guard throughout his career. He was best known for six seasons with the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 17 points per game. He was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2000. He had a career year in 2002, averaging 21.7 points per game, before finishing with four solid seasons for the Clippers. The good news is he later played in the BIG3 for a few years.
He ended the podcast feeling grateful for his NBA journey and being part of a rare group. “A small fraternity that you are in that only 5,000 people is in. So I’m cool with that.”
