Former Houston Rocket Cuttino Mobley Eyeing A Comeback

Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis watches a free throw attempt as members of the Houston Rockets. (circa 2004)

Former Houston Rocket Cuttino Mobley has been working this summer for a possible return to the NBA. Now at 38 years old, Mobley retired from the NBA in 2008 as a member of the New York Knicks after team physicians found that he had a heart condition that was ruled to be ‘career-ending’.

Mobley has been working out at the Los Angeles Clippers facility throughout the summer, the franchise he played for in his last 3 seasons. Playing pick-up games with former and current NBA players such as Blake Griffin, Metta World Peace, Lou Amundson, Matt Barnes, Darren Collison, Austin Daye, Demar Derozan, Baron Davis, Xavier Henry, Kris Humphries, DeAndre Jordan, and Terrance Ross, reports indicate that Mobley has looked good and is in excellent shape.

After the Clippers traded away Mobley as part of a package deal to the Knicks in November 2008, an MRI exam by the Knicks found that he had a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which forced him to retire.

In November 2011, Mobley filed a lawsuit claiming that the Knicks organization knew of his condition prior to the trade, but pushed to make the trade anyway, then sent him to specialists they knew would oppose him playing so insurance could pay his contract and it wouldn’t count against their luxury tax. With Mobley retiring, the Knicks were able to shed $19 million off their salary cap.

Mobley also was not able to sign with another team, as the Knicks had medically disqualified them.

After almost 2 years, Mobley decided to drop the case in August, seeing it as the only way he can attempt a comeback to the NBA.

Mobley was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft by the Rockets, and played for 6 seasons in Houston. Averaging 16.7 points for his career as a Rocket, Mobley was traded, along with Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato, to the Orlando Magic in 2004 for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, and Tyronn Lue.