For the first time in two and a half years, on Friday, swingman Andre Roberson made his long-awaited return to the court for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the club’s exhibition game against the Boston Celtics.
Roberson has been rehabbing from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered against the Detroit Pistons in January 2018, and his return was delayed when he suffered a setback in November 2018. At the time, after some discomfort, it was revealed that Roberson suffered an avulsion fracture in his leg. His quad muscle atrophied, according to ESPN.
For that reason, Roberson couldn’t return for the 2018-19 postseason. He similarly couldn’t get back on the court to open the 2019-20 season, either, and if the NBA year hadn’t been postponed, he would have probably missed the entirety of this year’s campaign, as well.
But after the long wait, on Friday in the Thunder’s bubble scrimmage, Roberson checked in with 5:33 remaining in the game’s third quarter.
Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters before the game that he does not expect Roberson to have a minutes restriction.
The defensive juggernaut is back.
