It's rare to hear NBA players attesting to having a blast in summer workouts. But the Wizards' Etan Thomas is a bit of a special case.
As reported by the Washington Post's Ivan Carter:
Etan Thomas won't test himself in an NBA game until October, but yesterday the veteran center took an important step in that direction by going full speed in a practice session with the Wizards' summer league squad.
Even better, Thomas said he felt great afterward.
Most players might not be so thrilled about July practices, but most don't have to recover from aortic valve leaks either.
Thomas missed the entire 2007-08 campaign with the heart problem, and there were certainly concerns about how his heart would be affected going forward. Those concerns appear to have been alleviated, and Carter reports that it had simply been waiting for the sternum to recover from the way it was affected by the medical procedures that kept doctors from clearing Thomas even earlier. He is expected to make a complete return for the 2008-09 season with the Wiz.
Heart trouble is a scary reality to face. It's a joy to see players successfully recover from it.