Help Needed: $8 million Advance Required Despite Recent $50 million Contract

Frank Franklin II/Associated PressThere's been precious little joy for sidelined Knicks center Eddy Curry (center, flanked by Nate Robinson, left, and Stephon Marbury). Health issues and personal tragedies have haunted him throughout this season.

CLEVELAND -- Three-and-a-half years ago, while the Cavaliers had no coach and no general manager but a gigantic load of salary-cap space, LeBron James held a press conference at a park in Akron to discuss a charity event.

At the time he suggested that a perfect fit alongside him would be Eddy Curry, the free agent of the Chicago Bulls who was coming off his best season and appeared to be headed into his prime. Who knows whether James really meant it or he was trying to drum up interest in Curry, who is represented by the same agent and has some of the same close friends.

Nonetheless, the Cavs did consider it but instead decided to re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Some thought it was a mistake. Perhaps they had a point at the time. But over the last three years Curry has plunged into a depressing array of unforeseen personal and professional problems that have climaxed this season with Curry looking to switch teams again.

A straight-from-high school franchise center with scoring ability, Curry has some of the most desirable traits in the NBA. Plus he's known for having a caring and giving personality, which makes him someone fans like to root for. But it hasn't worked out and it's been sad to watch.

In 2005, Curry became embattled in a precedent-setting case over whether the Bulls could demand a sample of his DNA to see if he was predisposed to a heart condition. It ruined the relationship and Curry ended up working out a sign-and-trade to play for the Knicks, a deal that ultimately led to Isaiah Thomas' downfall as the Knicks' president.

Said teammate Malik Rose of Curry (above): "This whole year, it's probably the toughest year I've seen any man have to go through."

In 2007, after his best season when he averaged 19.5 points and seven rebounds, Curry and his wife and housekeeper were held at gunpoint in a robbery at his house in Chicago. It left emotional scars that Curry struggled to overcome.

After the injury-filled season that followed, new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni made it clear Curry did not fit in with the plans. New GM Donnie Walsh made it pretty clear Curry would be traded.

When he showed up at training camp hoping to prove them wrong, he came down with the stomach flu and missed most of the first week. Then he suffered a bone bruise in his right knee that knocked him out of the first two months of the regular season as he read stories that the Knicks wanted him to come back so they could showcase him for a trade.

He did come back and played just three minutes in one game and looked terrible. After that session, on Jan. 8, his left knee started hurting and he hasn't played since.

A week later, a former male employee hit him with a lawsuit that claimed sexual harassment and making unwanted advances, which the tabloids went crazy with in New York. He denied it and called it an embezzlement scheme, which it may be, but it didn't exactly do wonders for his reputation.

Last week an ex-girlfriend in Chicago and her daughter, which may or may not be Curry's, were murdered in front of his three-year old son. Afterward, a devastated Curry took a leave of absence amid what likely is the worst year of his life.

Saturday's New York Daily News reported that Curry asked the Knicks for an $8 million advance on his salary recently to help him cope with debts, even though he's midway through a $50 million deal. The paper reported the Knicks did give him $2 million.

"This whole year, it's probably the toughest year I've seen any man have to go through," teammate Malik Rose said.