Kyrie Irving, the Boston Celtics’ All-Star point guard, will need surgery on his left knee and miss the rest of the regular season and playoffs.
The team said Thursday his recovery time will be three to four months.
In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after his patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA finals. The five-time All-Star recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.
The team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on the knee.
Irving was acquired by the Celtics from the Cleveland Cavaliers in an offseason trade for Isaiah Thomas. The 26-year-old has helped Boston to the No2 seed in the Eastern Conference, averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 60 games played.
