tdizzle

Kings F Webber undergoes knee surgery (6-10-03).
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen...ageId=17035290


SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday, more than a month after having his season cut short in the Western Conference semifinals.

Webber had a piece of cartilage removed from his knee at Healthsouth Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who performed the procedure, also smoothed and prepared an articular cartilage defect.

The 30-year-old Webber is expected to be on crutches for approximately eight weeks while undergoing rehabilitation to help with the healing. He will likely not be at full strength for the start of the regular season.

Webber suffered a meniscus tear in his knee during Game Two of the Western Conference semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks on May 8. His absence was a huge blow to the Kings, who took the Mavericks to Game Seven before being eliminated.

"Chris played through a lot of adversity over the course of this past season," Kings president Geoff Petrie said. "He was truly on a quest to lead our organization to a championship before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear in the playoffs."

Webber led the Kings with 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 67 games this season. Sacramento had the league's third-best record at 59-23 and won its second straight Pacific Division title.

Also, Kings swingman Gerald Wallace had an arthroscopic decompression procedure on his left shoulder to repair chronic rotator cuff tendinitis,

Wallace, who averaged 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 34 games this season, will be ready for the start of the 2003-04 regular season following a period of rehabilitation.

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I'd say that would hurt out of the gate, much like this past season with Mike Bibby starting the season on the injured list. I thouht that Bibby could never get back in the groove that he showed during the playoffs the previos season.

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