Wet socks are awful. But they’re even worse if you leave them on before hopping into Nike’s Cryon-X machine.
Manny Harris found that out the hard way back in November.
According to CNBC.com, the Cavaliers guard suffered freezer burn after using the cooling chamber at Nike’s facilities in Beaverton, Ore., with wet socks on. He has since been cut by Cleveland.
Harris was unable to receive treatment from team doctors after getting the freezer burn because of the NBA lockout. He was instead forced to let it heal on its own, but the healing process reportedly didn’t go as planned, and Harris was kept from competing for a job during training camp because of the setback.
According to the Sun-Herald, Cleveland head coach Byron Scott initially said that Harris could have a hard time making the team without participating in any practices, but he eventually said that he was impressed with Harris’ play last season. In the end, though, Harris’ success in his 54 games last season, during which he scored 5.9 points in 17.3 minutes per game, wasn’t enough to overcome the unfortunate (and fluky) injury.
CNBC.com notes that Nike’s Cryon-X machine is the new-age version of an ice bath, and is the latest in athlete recovery methods. The company that makes it, Millennium ICE, says that the temperature inside the chamber gets down to minus-166 degrees Fahrenheit, which oxygenates the blood, subsequently reducing fatigue and muscle soreness.
Because of how cold it gets, players are reportedly forced to sign a waiver saying that the briefs and socks that are won while they’re in the machine are not wet. That must have slipped Harris’ mind, though, as he got in with wet socks, resulting in the injury and eventually the loss of his job.
Sprinter Justin Gatlin has reportedly suffered a similar injury in the past. Teams are still turning to the equipment, with the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs reportedly purchasing machines for $50,000 last season, but Harris’ injury shows the importance of the waiver.
“We will now be posting the warning on the machine itself,” Millennium ICE CEO Eric Rauscher said, according to CNBC.com.
Harris is now forced to put his best foot forward in his quest to catch on with another team.
