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Former Nugget Camby lets go of bitterness

Trade to Clippers 'a thing of the past'

By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published October 23, 2008 at 12:22 p.m.
Updated October 24, 2008 at 10:21 a.m.

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"I'm enjoying my new situation. I'm enjoying this new chapter of my career," says Marcus Camby, who was traded from the Nuggets to the Clippers in July.

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein / Nbae Via Getty Images

"I'm enjoying my new situation. I'm enjoying this new chapter of my career," says Marcus Camby, who was traded from the Nuggets to the Clippers in July.

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Maybe it's the California sunshine and ocean air.

Maybe it's the fact his children enjoy their new school.

Maybe it's because he lives close enough to work he doesn't have to fight the infamous Los Angeles traffic.

Whatever the reason, former Nuggets center Marcus Camby no longer openly harbors the bitterness that came over him when Denver traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in a cost-cutting move July 13.

Sure, Camby still believes the Nuggets could have handled the situation better, but he appears to have moved on from the days when he felt "blindsided, distraught, disrespected."

"I was upset at the time, how things transpired out there in Denver, but after being out here, that is like a thing of the past right now," Camby said during a telephone interview from Los Angeles. "I'm enjoying my new situation. I'm enjoying this new chapter of my career. I'm going to try to make the best of the situation, but I think the situation can be a great one and a promising one."

Still recovering from a heel injury he suffered during practice last week, Camby will not be in uniform Friday night when the Nuggets face the Clippers in a preseason game at Staples Center.

Camby still planned to have dinner with some teammates and members of the coaching staff who became extended family members during his six seasons with Denver.

"They've been calling to check on me, and I've been calling to check on them to see how they're playing," Camby said. "The relationship I have with those guys, it's going to be lifelong."

The business relationship between Camby and the Nuggets came to an abrupt end when he was shipped to Los Angeles for nothing more than the opportunity to swap second-round draft positions in 2010.

The Nuggets, attempting to rein in the budget and avoid paying a hefty luxury tax this season, also received a $10 million trade exception.

With 12 NBA seasons under his belt, Camby wasn't naive enough to think he was untouchable, but the 2006-07 defensive player of the year believed he deserved some advance notice concerning management's plans.

To this day, he said he hasn't heard from anyone in the Nuggets front office about the trade.

"I didn't expect to anyway," he said.

Though hobbled during the preseason, Camby plans to be on the court when the Nuggets and Clippers play a regular-season game in Los Angeles on Halloween.

"I don't think it'll be that emotional. It's just basketball," he said. "It's going to be similar to going to practice every day with those guys for the last six years. I'm not looking for no sort of revenge or anything like that. I'm just going to try to help my team win."

So no scowls at the Nuggets bench or a finger waggle after a big block?

"There won't be none of that trash talking," Camby said.

Wanna bet?

Nuggets guard Allen Iverson expects the trash talk to start tonight, while center Nene is anticipating a physical battle in the low post when the games count in the standings next week.

"It's going to be different because in the practice, we don't play physical with each other because I don't want to hurt him, he don't want to hurt me," said Nene, who considers Camby to be an older brother. "Now it's a different situation. . . . I don't think he's going to like me much."

Camby didn't like much of anything when he was traded three months ago, but he quickly is adapting to a new city, a new team and a new coach. He and his family live just a few blocks from the Clippers' practice facility, and it's hard to complain about the warm weather.

Plus, Camby has been able to honor his extensive charitable commitments in Denver. They include a new computer room for the William E. Cope Boys & Girls Club; a mentoring program with Denver Public Schools; 1,000 meals for the homeless on Thanksgiving; and a Christmas shopping spree for underprivileged children.

"All the things that I've been doing, I'm still going to be doing," Camby said. "I'm just not physically going to be there, but my name and my foundation are going to be all over the city."

Comments

  • October 23, 2008

    1:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ccorrea writes:

    Trade Hunter and Chucky for Tinsley !
    Two for one, Nuggs would have a point guard
    and an extra spot on the roster for a player that
    can actually play if called upon .

    Go Nuggets !!!

  • October 23, 2008

    3:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    sanchez316 writes:

    That's cool Juwan made the team, he's a great leader, and can teach the young guys some stuff. I was hoping Smush or Ruben would've been kept around.

  • October 24, 2008

    7:19 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    kmeissner writes:

    Camby was my favorite Nugget and it was hard to see him go. I hope he does well in LA. The Nugs will miss his defense. Hopefully Nene will step it up this year and become the player we all expect him to be. GO NUGS!

  • October 24, 2008

    8:07 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Snappa writes:

    WOW....Just... WOw...................George Karl chose Anthony Carter over Ruben Patterson & Smush Parker... wth is going on in Denver???????

  • October 24, 2008

    8:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    denverone writes:

    Camby was and is a class act. Hate to see the good ones go. Not to mention he was the last line of defense when nobody else would play defense. Good luck and good health Marcus. You made us proud. The fans and community will miss you greatly!

  • October 24, 2008

    8:50 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ActualThinker writes:

    Anthony Carter has a guaranteed deal and knows the system. Both Ruben and Smush were non-guaranteed so we owe nothing letting them go.

  • October 24, 2008

    11:39 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    philvysor writes:

    Be Bitter Camby be Bitter, Nuggets treated you unfairly.

  • October 24, 2008

    12:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    sanchez316 writes:

    I like Anthony Carter...He comes at a cheap price and sometimes when the nugs are being lazy, AC is the only one giving it his all. He's not a great offensive player, but we dont need offense from him(melo, a.i.). I like his gutsiness though. I would like to see him, and smush together on the team.

  • October 24, 2008

    1:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wj_nugs writes:

    MC is a good man. Rarely do you see guys in the NBA who care about something else other than making the All-Star roster or filling up the stat sheets.

    Keeping AC was a good thing because of his toughness and defense. There is a reason why Parker and Patterson don't have NBA teams.

  • October 24, 2008

    4:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ramAZ writes:

    I loved Camby. He was my favorite Nugget.

    BUT...

    he got pushed around by Timmy Duncan. Period. Nene is getting bagged by the national media saying he can't play defense like Camby. He sure doesn't get pushed around like Camby and he won't be launching perimeter shots like Camby did either.

    I like the energy of Balkman and he will blossom now that he's out from under the NBA rock that is New York.

    Anthony Carter has a guaranteed contract. Get over it. You don't cut someone when you're on the hook for the salary cap hit.

  • October 24, 2008

    5 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GOPteacher writes:

    I think we're waiting to sign Coby Karl when LA releases him. Anyway, Smush is a loser - he had real chances in LA and Miami, both places needed a PG, and he couldn't hack it. Talent isn't everything.

    As long as we're wishing for impossibles, I wish we could rescind the AI trade.