Raef Article

Boston.com / Sports / Basketball / Celtics / Rehabbing his career

When LaFrentz returns to the court for training camp in October, it will be, by his own estimation, the first time in 2 1/2 years he has played on a strong and healthy right leg. But he still feels pain in it, and that may remain for years.

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After Labor Day, LaFrentz will join his teammates for pickup games, putting his knee to the final test. He does not really know how it will respond to the rigors of an 82-game season. So far, the response to treatment, strengthening, and conditioning has been mixed.

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"I'll know more when I start playing in September. I'm curious. I know how it feels to move around the weight room. I know how it feels to move around the court. There's been good days and bad days. But I don't know what it will feel like [to play]. We'll wait and see.

"I'm not nervous about moving on the court. I'm just nervous about having the same feeling I had last year. I'm not worried about being able to play. I'm waiting to be able to play at a level that I know I can."