Greg Ostertag Returns to NBA Action After Donating One Kidney

Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag, who during the summer donated one of his kidneys to his younger sister, returned to National Basketball Association competition playing 8 minutes in the team's first preseason game versus Sacramento.

But the 29-year-old Ostertag, who underwent the donor surgery in June at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas (see earlier Transplant Week story), said occasional stomach muscle spasms and abdominal pains around the incision are making his return a little slower than he had hoped.

"I wasn't able to start doing anything really hard until the beginning of September," he told the Deseret News. "I tried to start going a little early, and things just didn't work out. My scar opened up a little bit, and started seeping a little, so I had to slow down a little bit.

"The toughest thing is just trying to be ready to go as much as possible, and knowing that I'm going to be tired (early on)." Ostertag said. "Strength-wise, I think I'm going pretty good."

Trainer Gary Briggs expressed hope Ostertag would be available for the October 30th start of Utah's regular season, but said "we may have to just shut him down from playing, and let him work on his conditioning and his abdominal strength."

While forward Sean Elliott of the San Antonio Spurs two years ago became the first player to return to the NBA after receiving a kidney transplant, Ostertag will be the first to see regular-season NBA action after becoming a kidney donor.

Other sources: Deseret News