I remember back in the day when ABC's Wild World of Sports came on TV. During the introduction the captioned read, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

The opening clip showed a male gymnast running full speed toward the pommel horse. I don't' know exactly what happened, but he missed his marked and hit that thing face first.

That doesn't even come close to seeing the injury that Shaun Livingston suffered while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers. Seeing it again on instant replay, in slow motion, only makes it worse.

Livingston tore the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, the lateral meniscus, sprained his medial collateral ligament and dislocated his patella and tibia-femoral joint.

It is the type of injury that would leave some people using a wheel chair or crutches for the rest of their life.

For the most part, I thought Livingston would be OK and that the trainers would come out and help him off the floor to the applause of all those in attendance.

When I heard him cry out in gut-wrenching pain, that pretty much sealed the deal and I knew we had seen the last of Livingston for the season.

The rehabilitation that he went through was bananas, but he did it without ever mumbling a word. He would often tell the trainers, "Let's do one more set before we wrap up."

On the day Shaun returned from his injury and walked through the tunnel for the first time, unassisted by anyone or thing, I shed a few tears.

I cried just as much when Jason McElwain, diagnosed with high-functioning autism, stepped on the court for Greece Athena High School started dropping three-pointers like raisins on cookies.

"It's tough coming back from an injury when you were once considered a franchise player and the cornerstone of the organization," Livingston said.

"But being able to do what I love and get better at it each day is priceless."

Livingston does feel like he has some things to prove and that he belongs in the NBA. So getting the opportunity to play in the D-League is very important to him.

He really hasn't gotten any quality minutes since the injury where he's been allowed to feel comfortable on the court. The stint in Miami last season was difficult because the Heat wanted to win right away.

"Playing for the Tulsa 66ers is not a demotion but another opportunity for me to better myself," Livingston said. "There's no substitute for actual game time. You can't simulate the movement. And contrary to popular belief, basketball is a contact sport."

Livingston is now getting the playing time he needs, along with the ability to take things at his own pace, with the 66ers.

"I played 23 minutes the first night and add a few more each game, which is helping me to build my stamina," he said.

Certain things about Livingston's game have changed, but he still has all the tools. He has regained most of his quickness and first-step explosiveness.

"I'm consistently working on getting the strength back to jump off one leg along with actual game movements," he said.

He's adjusting to the tempo of the game and puts himself in the best scoring opportunities. He said dealing with the injury has been more mental than physical.

"I'm almost to the point where I can go out on the court and just play," Livingston said. "There is some soreness at times but I just play through it. Some days are better than others but I adapt to it. You can play hurt but you can't play injured."

The only truly noticeable difference about Livingston is that he no longer has braids in his hair. His desire and passion for the game are still intact.

His goals for the next few months are simple.

"I'm going to play hard for the 66ers and be in training camp on a NBA roster this summer," he said.

Oh, Livingston is also executive producer for the movie, "Next Day Air" starring Donald Faison. It's due for release May 8.

"It's something that Elton Brand got me interested in doing," Livingston said.

"I feel that my story is something that can be used by anyone -- that hard work, dedication and staying positive pay off. Going about things in a professional manner and handling it with dignity and grace will get you anywhere you want to be in life."

Wesley Chism Jr. is a senior reporter for Pro Basketball News. He has written for the Milwaukee Times, Rivals.com and Richmond Afro Newspaper, and can be reached at chism@probasketballnews.com.