Wright can feel Kaman's pain after concussions slowed both Mavericks

By Dwain Price

dprice@star-telegram.com

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks center Brandan Wright knows exactly what Chris Kaman is experiencing.

Last year Wright had to sit out six games with a concussion after a head-to-head collision on March 2 with New Orleans forward Al-Farouq Aminu. Kaman suffered a concussion when he fell on his head after practice Jan. 28.

Kaman has yet to return because he's still experiencing headaches and hasn't passed the NBA's mandated concussion-related test.

Wright's advice is to not rush anything.

"He knows how serious it is," Wright said. "He doesn't want to have lingering effects where you're out for the rest of the season, or you can't do any basketball activities until mid-summer.

"So you've got to really take your time."

That's precisely what Wright did after he suffered his concussion.

"I just sat there with low lights, no TV, no reading," Wright said. "I went to the hyperbaric chamber a lot and that helped out a lot, but I just waited for the symptoms to calm down.

"It's tough man, because it's frustrating. You can get out of shape really easy, and there's not a lot you can do because if you start running around and getting headaches and blurred vision, that's counterproductive."

The concussions sustained by the players occurred in different circumstances, but the results were the same.

"His head hit the ground, my head hit somebody else, and that's all it takes," said Wright, who sat out 10 days with his concussion. "A quick little snap reaction, hard hit, and you think you're fine at first, which [Kaman] thought he was fine.

"I thought I was fine, I finished the game and then a couple of hours later and then you start to feel the repercussions. I had a little dizziness, a little blurred vision, definitely headaches, and you're sensitive to light."

Kaman, who has been out 10 days, must pass the concussion test before he is cleared.

Wright said the test is "memorization and anticipation and quickness, and how fast you react to certain things. It's tough. I know Kaman doesn't like it; I don't like it either.

"I took it the first couple of times and I figured it was no way I failed it, but he said I failed it. It's pretty accurate, and it keeps you honest. You think you're fully healthy and it shows you that you're not healthy when you do fail it."

Wright said he told Kaman that he feels his pain, but a concussion is nothing to play with.

"It's one of those things where you've got to take your time, respect the process and let your brain heal," he said.

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