Utah Jazz Player to Donate Kidney to Sister During NBA Offseason

The 29-year-old Ostertag is scheduled to had the kidney removed at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas on June 27th so it can be transplanted into his sister Amy Hall, a diabetic whose own kidneys failed three months ago.

"I'm nervous," said Ostertag. "There's always that chance that I won't come out of it, or that something will happen later, an infection or something. But the chances are slim. I don't think about it that much."

The 7-foot-2 Ostertag, who has two years remaining on his contract, informed team officials of his plan in March.

"That's just the right thing to do," said coach Jerry Sloan. "It doesn't surprise me at all that he would agree to do this. That's the kind of person Greg is."

Doctors say that as a healthy donor, Ostertag will probably only be hospitalized for two days, and should be able to resume his offseason workouts in four to six weeks.

Ironically, while Ostertag will be the first NBA player to donate a kidney for transplantation during his career, he will not even be the first member of the Jazz to play with one kidney.

Forward Pete Chilcutt, who played 26 games for the Jazz three seasons ago, was born with one kidney.

San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott two years ago became the first athlete to compete in a major sport after receiving a kidney transplant.