'I thought it was a money plan' - Cuttino Mobley recalls being misdiagnosed with a heart condition

In 2008, Cuttino Mobley was forced to retire from the NBA after he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) during a physical examination that was conducted as part of his trade from the L.A. Clippers to the New York Knicks.

Three years later, Mobley filed a lawsuit against the Knicks, alleging that they misdiagnosed him and cost him his NBA career. "Cat" later dropped the case as he attempted to make a return to the NBA at the age of 37.

It has been over a decade since that happened, and during his recent appearance on the "Straight Game" podcast, Mobley talked about his experience.

"I think it was more for me a situation where they didn't know," said Cuttino. "And I went to sue the Knicks because to me, I thought it was a money play to get certain individuals off the books so they can get ready for a certain year, 2010, which was the biggest during that time of free agency."

Mobley claims he was misdiagnosed

The 6'4'' shooting guard argued that the Knicks still pushed through with the trade despite the findings in his physical exam. He claims they then sent him to specialists, knowing doctors would not allow him to play so that insurance would shoulder his contract and Cuttino's salary would not count against the team's salary cap, thereby saving NY cap space and luxury tax payments.

But after he retired, Mobley sought a second opinion from multiple doctors, and according to him, he found out he did not have HCM. That's why the Philadelphia native sued the Knicks, although he later withdrew the case. Looking back, "Cat" says none of these would have happened if his longtime cardiologist had been alive at the time.

"I had the number one cardiologist in the world at that time, Anthony Pacifico. But he passed away in 2004 on a private plane. And if he was alive, I would have probably still been playing for more years because he was always stamping like, 'I back Cuttino.' So he wasn't there no more and it was a tough moment because there was nobody to go to that would say that I back then."

"Cat" was still able to continue playing basketball, but in the BIG3

Last year, an appreciative Mobley told The U.S. Sun that although he still feels that he could still have played back then, Cuttino is happy that he is alive today. The Rhode Island product also said it was a blessing to be able to play in the NBA.

"I'm one of under 5,000 players who ever played in the NBA, so I don't know about regret," he told The U.S. Sun. "I had a lot of fun. I'm in a unique fraternity and met an amazing amount of people, and my life is pretty good. It was a big mess and confusion, but I am here today. It's all behind us now."

Although his plan to return to the NBA was unsuccessful, Mobley continued his basketball career in Ice Cube's BIG3 league along with many former NBA players. Cuttino led Team Power to the 2018 BIG3 title and went on to play there until 2023.