阅读资料: 兄妹情~职业男篮爵士队中前锋捐肾脏给妹妹

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虽然在球场上人们都认为他的表现没有对他6年3千6百万美金合约尽职, 职业男篮爵士队中锋Greg Ostertag 捐肾脏给妹妹:

BY JAIME ARON
Associated Press
Jun. 27, 2002 9:33 a.m.

DALLAS (AP) — With smiles, laughter and high hopes, Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag donated a kidney Thursday to his younger sister, whose kidneys failed in March.

"They were joking and carrying on. They were hilarious," said Kathryn Goldstein, a spokeswoman at Baylor University Medical Center who was with the family before the operations. "It was typical sibling joking back and forth, just being silly.

"I think they were very upbeat. Their spirits were very high yesterday and this morning."

Amy Hall has had type 1 diabetes since she was 7. Her kidney problems began in 1999. After it was determined the 26-year-old woman needed a new organ, tests showed her brother to be a perfect donor.

Ostertag went in first to have his kidney removed, a procedure that usually takes three hours. Hall went in later for the transplant, which was expected to take 3 hours. Their support group at the hospital included their parents, Hall's husband and an aunt.

The procedure was done at the same hospital where Mickey Mantle had a liver transplant in 1995.

Ostertag is expected to remain there until Saturday. The risk of career-threatening complications are low.

Doctors have told the 7-foot-2 Ostertag he can return to his normal routine within six weeks if all goes well. He expects to be ready for the start of training camp.

Ostertag, 29, will try to become the second player in three years to return to the NBA following a kidney transplant. Sean Elliott went back to the San Antonio Spurs after getting a kidney from his brother in March 2000.

Ostertag told team officials of his decision in March, but didn't make it public until a few weeks ago.

"I just hope things go well with Greg," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said Wednesday night. "That's our foremost concern for him and his family. Basketball is secondary. That's always the case when we have a player who has a problem with his family. We wish him nothing but the best."

Ostertag has often been labeled an underachiever on the court, primarily because his production hasn't measured up to his $36 million, six-year contract. He has two seasons and $16.3 million left.

He's coming off a strong playoff series in a first-round loss to Sacramento, averaging 6.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, double his regular-season numbers in both categories.

Utah acquired 7-foot center Curtis Borchardt in Wednesday night's draft, but Jazz owner Larry Miller said the move was not protection in case Ostertag can't return.

"The kidney is a wild card. But we're pretty sure unless something goes wrong with the surgery, we don't think it will affect his play much," Miller said. "It isn't something we're worried about."