another athlete with little sense...
Report: Ellis was injured in mo-ped accident, not playing hoop
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 25, 2008, 12:37 PM ET
Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis' ankle injury was the result of a mo-ped accident and did not occur while he was playing pickup basketball, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing sources close to the team.
Ellis, 22, who signed a six-year, $66 million contract extension with the Warriors during the offseason, tore a ligament in his left ankle and sustained a high-ankle sprain in what one of the sources said was a "low-speed" mo-ped accident, according to the report. He underwent surgery in late August and is expected to be sidelined for another two months.
The Warriors and Ellis' agent, Jeff Fried, declined to comment on the report, according to the newspaper.
Riding a mo-ped is prohibited under the uniform player contract, which means the Warriors could tear up Ellis' contract. But according to sources, the team and Ellis are still working through the situation. A decision on discipline won't be made until next week, according to the report.
The circumstances surrounding Ellis' injury were not clear, even to team officials, in the days immediately following the incident. Ellis initially told team vice president Chris Mullin that he got hurt during a pickup basketball game in Jackson, Miss. But according to reports, team officials were skeptical about Ellis' explanation because of the severity of the injury.
Two years ago, Los Angeles Lakers forward Vladimir Radmanovic separated his shoulder in a snowboarding accident. Radmanovic, who at first said he had slipped and fell on a patch of ice, was fined $500,000 by the team.
Ellis averaged 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season, after winning NBA Most Improved Player honors after the 2006-07 season when he averaged 16.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
