Shaun Livingston is trying to stay positive
by Scott M Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports
Veteran guard Shaun Livingston experienced a turbulent Christmas holiday. The former first-round NBA draft pick was cut by the Washington Wizards on Dec. 23 before getting picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 25 to join his seventh NBA team. It marked the fourth time Livingston’s been cut during an injury-plagued career.
Needless to say, it won’t make for a happy reunion when Cleveland plays at Washington on Wednesday. Livingston, who was added to the Wizards’ roster Nov. 15, was averaging 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.8 minutes a game for Washington.
“It’s a struggle. I’m just trying to do my best to stay positive,” Livingston said last week while discussing his career with USA TODAY Sports before the Wizards waived him. “It’s about understanding you’re still blessed at the end of the day.”
Livingston, a 6-foot-7 point guard, was expected to fill in with guards John Wall and Jordan Crawford out with injuries. Bizarrely, Livingston went from starting in a Dec. 19 loss to the Orlando Magic, to out of a job just four days later. He played 17 games, including four starting assignments, for the Wizards, who own the NBA’s worst record at 3-22.
Livingston will now play back up to Kyrie Irving for the Cavaliers. His style fits coach Byron Scott’s pass-and-cut Princeton offense.
Livingston hasn’t been the same player since a debilitating knee injury in 2007, and was in his second stint with the Wizards after reviving his career with the team in 2010. After bouncing from team to team—getting cut several times and playing in the NBA Developmental League—Livingston stayed on Washington’s roster for the rest of the season after originally signing a 10-day contract. The next season, he signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Charlotte Bobcats. Livingston was later traded to the Bucks in 2011 and then traded to the Rockets in 2012 before being waived in June.
“Obviously we’re in a rough business,” Livingston said. “It’s all about winning. You have to stay … [For more on Shaun Livingston is trying to stay positive, click here.]
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