Metta World Peace said one of the reasons he has decided on a blood-spinning therapy known as platelet-rich-plasma Jan. 6 is because it was recommended by a handful of players, including Amar’e Stoudemire.
Stoudemire never has publicly revealed he had PRP on his knees, but World Peace said it’s true.
World Peace also said Kenyon Martin has had a similar procedure. World Peace won’t play on the Texas triangle trip and said he will sit out two weeks after the procedure. meaning he should be back around Jan. 20.
Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez are the two most famous athletes to recently undergo the therapy, which can help with arthritis. World Peace, according to a source, has an arthritic left knee that needed to be drained Monday for the fourth time since the regular season began.
“I spoke to Kenyon and Amar’e about it, and they’re still playing,” World Peace said. “Ama’re played a good game in Toronto [Saturday] and everybody expected him to not have a good season. I think he’s playing well when he gets minutes. Who knows, maybe the PRP did work for him.”
According to a source, Stoudemire had the PRP two years ago and not in July, when he said in training camp he had a “minor procedure” on his knee but didn’t specify.
The PRP procedure, mostly done outside the U.S., is not considered standard practice. Experts say too little medical evidence exists. But World Peace sounded desperate after his knee swelled up again after playing just five minutes vs. Toronto on Friday because the club was shorthanded. He has missed four of the past five games.
“If you think about it, those medical people are kind of weird,” World Peace said. “If they don’t make money on something, you know how those medical people are.
“Some people believe in it. Some players say they like it. That’s my only option here. I could either do that or still sit out. I’m sitting out anyway. I might as well get it done. It’s been two weeks I haven’t been playing, for the most part. Another week, then two weeks after that. Either time off helps heal or that PRP helps heal, we’ll never know. I don’t want to leave any options on the table.’’
Coach Mike Woodson ruled out point guards Raymond Felton (groin) and Pablo Prigioni (broken toe) for the three-game Texas trip that starts Thursday in San Antonio. Woodson said they would have needed one practice. Beno Udrih and impressive youngster Tour’e Murry will man the point guard position. Prigioni had hoped to be back Thursday. … Carmelo Anthony (sprained ankle) is progressing. He did “a little contact” at Tuesday’s practice, Woodson said. Anthony may decide to play just one of the two games in the upcoming Spurs-Rockets back-to-back.