In the storm's aftermath, Livingston, unbeknownst to local reporters at the time, was in Salt Lake City, trying again to stick with the Jazz.

When he found out she was headed to San Antonio, Livingston, who a short time earlier had taken part in a mini-camp with the Spurs, called Sam Presti.

Presti, who worked then in the Texas team's front office, picked up Livingston's mother at the airport at two in the morning. She's back living in New Orleans again. And Presti is still helping Livingston — now, to break into the business of coaching.

D-League champs

Livingston didn't play one game in the NBA last season, a sure sign the end had come.

But he did play the entire season for Idaho of the NBA Development League, leading the Stampede to a title despite the loss of then-Seattle center Saer Sene to a knee injury, the departure of former Weber State big man Lance Allred to a call-up from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Livingston's own torn rotator cuff.

He called it "kind of" a "storybook ending."

Who cares if the book never made the New York Times best-seller list?

"Any time you can win a championship, especially if you can leave knowing you gave it your all and that was the result of it, whether it's in the D-League and the CBA or the NBA, that's always a good way to finish your career," Livingston said.

"I was proud of that accomplishment, but going through the D-League is a tough deal. You don't really get paid. So it's really a passion for the game of basketball, just to see a group of guys come together."

And now Livingston, who has spent the last few years in what he calls "player-coach mode," is ready to coach those guys full-time.

Jazz shooting guard Morris Almond, who spent time playing against Livingston in the D-League last season with the Utah Flash, could see it coming.

"I knew he'd be a coach eventually," said Almond, who was surprised — but not shocked — to see Livingston walk out with Jazz coaches for that first day of Revue camp last week.

Livingston had worked one-on-one before the 2006 NBA Draft with Tyrus Thomas of the Chicago Bulls, who went No. 4 overall. He spent time earlier this summer with Russell Westbrook, a guard taken fourth this year by Oklahoma City, where Presti is now the general manager. And he's spent the past week and a half working for free in Utah, all in hopes of landing a full-time coaching gig — somewhere, anywhere.

"My body kind of told me it was time," Livingston said. "There is nothing else I can do ... as far as playing. It was just time to move."

He felt it, like one can forecast rain in a bum knee.

"You go back to my draft, and I see some of the guys that have played 12 years like I played, and you wonder what would have happened, maybe, if I had never gotten hurt," Livingston said.

"But I took everything in stride, and I just made the best out of my career, and lived with what my abilities were on the court. I didn't really cry about getting hurt.

"I left everything I had as far as playing. I enjoyed it, and now it's time to move on to something else I'm passionate about."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com