Carl Landry was a forgotten man on the Sacramento Kings last season. He was owner Vivek Ranadivé’s first big free agent signing, but was unable to deliver in the first year of a roughly $26 million contract due to a host of injuries that plagued him throughout the season.
Landry is working hard this summer to come back to full strength next season. The Kings could certainly use the 30-year-old power forward’s veteran leadership and experience as they try to make a push back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
The Lafayette Journal and Courier recently caught up with the Kings power forward while he rehabs in Indiana. The local Indiana paper reports Landry is making progress, but has faced some challenges in his comeback trail from a torn meniscus in his right knee.
“Actions he previously considered childlike — such as standing on one foot and reaching down to place a cone on the floor — now require intense focus and balance for the former Purdue standout and current Sacramento Kings power forward,” reporter Nathan Baird wrote.
Landry is rehabbing at the St. Vincent Sports Performance workout facility in Indianapolis. According to the paper, the veteran big man has worked out at St. Vincent’s every year since he left Purdue University for the NBA in 2007.
“Confidence is the game,” Landry told the Journal and Courier. “After having injuries, there’s certain moves you don’t want to make. There’s certain movements you’re not comfortable doing. Then, after being off for a year, you just have to regain the rhythm, your basketball IQ of the game.
“I dedicated this summer to redefining my mind and my body and hopefully having one of the best years of my career.”
Landry appeared in just 18 games for the Kings this season. A torn hip flexor suffered in training camp sidelined the 30-year-old veteran for the first three-and-a-half months of the season. The Kings later discovered that Landry had a torn-right meniscus a month before the 2013-14 campaign came to a close.
Hear more from Landry from the feature in Journal and Courier, which can be read here.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
