Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Sam Cassell responded to critics’ claims that he’s a cancer to the team Monday by arguing that he’s really more like the chronic disease diabetes. “I hate to nitpick, but cancer is any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal cell division. Instead of maturing normally and dying, cancerous cells reproduce without restraint. Frequently, death occurs” said Cassell. “While it’s true I am certainly abnormal looking and I haven’t matured since I came into the league, there’s no way I played without restraint because I was nursing an injury most of the year. I guess you could say I hurt the Timberwolves, but I don’t think I killed them.”

Cassell did admit that he understands why some people would compare the one-time all-star to diabetes. “With diabetes, your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, which is a hormone that is necessary to convert food into energy. Well, same with me. I didn’t produce enough assists this year, which are necessary to convert fast breaks into points.” Cassell added that the Timberwolves still could have made the playoffs had Latrell Sprewell not been such a Hermanski-Pudlak Syndrome.

ORIGINALY PUBLISHED ON APRL 21, 2005 IN VOLUME 3 ISSUE 13