Thunder stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook underwent surgery Tuesday.
George’s operation repaired a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder. Its status will be assessed prior to the start of the 2019-20 season.
George will also undergo surgery on a small labrum tear in his left shoulder in the coming weeks, the team said in a statement.
Westbrook underwent two procedures. One was to treat a torn ligament in a finger of his left hand. The other was an optional arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. He is expected to return to basketball activities in approximately three weeks.
For the third consecutive season, Westbrook averaged a triple-double with 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game.
Surgical procedures for both players were carried out in Los Angeles. ESPN was the first outlet to report on the surgeries.
George ranked second in the league with 28 points per game this season, and led the league with 2.21 steals per game. Both shoulders hurt him in the last two months of the campaign.
Before that, he was considered among the top contenders for the league’s Most Valuable Player award and the Thunder were one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
With both stars injured, the Thunder slumped at the end of the season and lost to Portland in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
“I was just frustrated,” George said after the Thunder were eliminated late last month. “I think this came at a terrible time, especially when the team was walking. We were playing well. I was holding up a lot very well. Honestly, I think it came at the wrong time. But I insist, I have never made excuses. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time throughout the season. It got worse and worse as it progressed. ” AP