Sean May: Ready To Play
July 4, 2006

Last year wasn’t the season that Charlotte Bobcats forward Sean May had dreamed about all of his life. It started off well, with May averaging 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, including his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds on November 15 against Orlando. But on December 20, May suffered a right knee injury, had surgery in January and never returned to game action for the Bobcats. While it was a disappointing end to his rookie season, May bounced back and is participating in the Bobcats Summer League for the second year in a row in preparation for the upcoming NBA season.

“I haven’t played in so long, and [the summer league] is a great opportunity to stay in shape midway through the summer,” May said. “This is a great way to push yourself and strive for goals.”

May is thrilled to be back playing organized basketball, which he hasn’t played since his injury. For someone who has played competitively all his life, it was difficult for him to sit on the sidelines and watch for most of last season.

“It’s tough, especially coming straight out of college, coming off a national championship and achieving a goal by getting here,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. [Injuries] are hard to deal with, but it’s all part of the business.”

Teammate Raymond Felton is glad to see May back in action on the court. As his teammate for three seasons at the University of North Carolina and last season with the Bobcats, Felton missed May’s presence in pressure situations and the intangibles he brings to the game.

“It means a lot to have him back,” Felton said. “Sean’s a great scorer, and he rebounds and blocks shots. We missed all that last year.”

Luckily for May, he was able to still work out some when he was injured. He practiced some with the team, performing shooting drills and other exercises that weren’t taxing on his knee. He also ran on an underwater treadmill and worked out in the weight room. He admits that it was frustrating that he was able to practice and work out, yet not play in games, but he knew it was best for him in the long run.

“I kept telling myself that I don’t want to play one, two, three years in the NBA. I want to play 12, 13, 14, 15 years. The only way I’m going to do that is give my body a chance to heal,” May said.

This summer, while in Chapel Hill taking classes, he worked out alongside former teammate Marvin Williams [of the Atlanta Hawks], which kept him in competitive shape and got him ready for summer league.

“I still have a ways to go, but I have done a great job thus far of keeping myself in shape,” May said. “[My knee] feels great; I haven’t had any problems with it,” he said.

Summer League Head Coach John-Blair Bickerstaff is pleased with May’s progress and expects him to be a valuable asset in Orlando.

“Sean’s been really good,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s going to be a little rusty, but he’s kept working on his game. He’s starting to get his touch back, and we’re glad to have him back.”

Although he only played in 23 games his rookie year, May considers himself a veteran player.

“[Rookie] is the worst title that anybody can ever put on you,” he said. “I played in 23 games, and I got a taste of NBA life. I just didn’t get to go through it for 82 games. I’m not a rookie, and I’m not going to let that be an excuse for me next year.”

Even though May wasn’t playing for all 82 games, he was still working on improving his game any way he could, mostly by watching the action occurring on the court. He observed the strengths of his teammates and his opponents and used those elements to make him a better player this year.

“When you watch, you can learn so much more about the game,” he said. “I do think you can learn a lot from sitting, but no one wants to sit.”

“I’m ready to get out there and play.”