Slowed by knee problems over the past two seasons, Rashard Lewis recently underwent treatment that has him feeling much better heading into the 2012/13 season. As he tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, Lewis is optimistic enough about his health that he's hoping to play in the NBA for another five years.
"This will be my 15th season," Lewis said. "My whole goal is to play another five years and try to get to 20 years… The way I feel now, I most definitely think I can do it."
As Tomasson explains, Lewis underwent a process called OssaTron treatment over the summer, something that was suggested by the Heat. The team believed that the non-surgical procedure, which involves shockwave therapy, could help the 33-year-old regain the form he showed in Seattle and Orlando.
"They just numb the knees basically like ultrasound," Lewis said. "It breaks down a lot of the scar tissue and it kind of rebuilds it. It took me off the court for a couple of months… (The Heat believed) it was something that could really help me and get me back on the court playing at a high rate, and I told them anything that would help me be even a little bit better than I was the past season, the past couple of years, I’m willing to try."
While the inactivity this summer has left Lewis a little rusty heading into training camp, he feels as if the treatment has been a success. and thinks it could help him lengthen his career.
"It’s like night and day from how I felt the past two years," Lewis said. "It brings a smile to my face…. I’m going to show that I got a little more basketball left in me."