Sixers coach Cheeks promotes gout awareness

NEW YORK -- Maurice Cheeks coached some Philadelphia 76ers games this season wearing only one shoe. Cheeks couldn't fit a shoe over his swollen left foot because he was suffering from gout.

"It's very uncomfortable to coach with one shoe one," Cheeks said on Thursday.

Now, Cheeks wants to help people with gout and those at risk of suffering the condition. He was in New York to take part in "Time Out For Gout," which promoted the second annual Gout Awareness Day.

Gout is an intensely painful form of arthritis caused by accumulation of sodium urate crystals in the joints and other tissues. Common symptoms include swollen or stiff joints, and long-term damage can be inflicted on joints and kidneys if it is not managed properly.

"Anyone who has gout, they know how painful it can be just to be touched by a sock, a sheet or anything," Cheeks said. "The adrenaline of the game took that away. As the game continued, the feeling of gout was replaced by the game. After the game, it went back to feeling as painful as it can be."