Friday 21 February 2020 06:33, UK
Brooklyn point guard Kyrie Irving will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his right shoulder, Nets general manager Sean Marks announced on Thursday.
The injury, described throughout the season as an "impingement," has bothered Irving since early November. He missed 26 games between November 16 and January 10.
In that time, he visited a specialist and received a cortisone shot, but his shoulder hasn't been 100 per cent since his return to action on January 12.
"The shoulder is a tough thing," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "I just think it was an on-and-off thing where it's bothering you. Some days you feel good, some days you don't feel good. But I think it got to the point it was, 'Hey, let's see another specialist'."
Irving, who turns 28 in March, is averaging 27.4 points, 6.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds in his first campaign with the Nets. He signed a four-year, $136m deal as a free agent in July.
More recently, a sprained knee sidelined Irving for the final five games before the All-Star break.
The Nets are 17-16 this season when Irving doesn't play, and they are 8-12 when he has seen action. The team won 12 of their first 18 games without Irving.
Last summer, the six-time All-Star Irving signed his big-dollar contract with the Nets and star forward Kevin Durant worked a sign-and-trade deal that sent him from the Golden State Warriors to Brooklyn. Durant hasn't played this season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and recent reports have indicated there is a possibility he could return in the postseason.
Brooklyn resumed play after the All-Star break on Thursday night at Philadelphia, losing 112-104 in overtime.
The Nets are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one-and-a-half games ahead of the Orlando Magic.
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