Injured Nixon Plans to Rehabilitate Knee

Injured guard Norm Nixon of the Clippers, interviewed Tuesday at his hospital bed, said that he plans to resume his pro basketball career once his injured left knee heals. There had been speculation that Nixon, 30, might retire.

“I’m not going to set a target date for my return,” Nixon said at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Marina del Rey. “It’s a tough road back recovering from an injury. You just can’t go out there and play until your ready. I’m just trying not to be frustrated.”

The veteran NBA guard had surgery Sunday to repair a torn quadriceps tendon in his left knee. The injury is expected to keep him sidelined from four to six months. Nixon said his injury is similar to the one suffered by Pedro Guerrero of the Dodgers.

“It’s the same thing except his injury was at the bottom of the kneecap and mine was at the top,” Nixon said.

The Clippers open the 1986-87 season Oct. 31 at Sacramento, and it is likely that Nixon won’t return until midseason.

“I know that I’ll have to earn my job back,” he said. “I’m not just going to come back and take over again.”

Nixon suffered the injury last Thursday while playing in a softball game in New York’s Central Park with the cast of “Sweet Charity.” His wife, actress Debbie Allen, is the star of the play.

Nixon said he was in the midst of one of the most intense off-season conditioning programs of his career because he wanted to get off to a good start this season. He missed the first 13 games last season because of a contract dispute and said it took awhile for him to get going.

“I was taking some ballet classes. I wanted to come into training camp in great shape.”

Nixon is expected to remain hospitalized for five days. He said he will be in a cast for six weeks before starting therapy.