NBA

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has left knee surgery

By Connor Grott   |   May 24, 2022 at 8:41 PM
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, shown April 14, 2021, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. File Photo by Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE

May 24 (UPI) -- Chicago Bulls star guard Zach LaVine underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles, the team announced.

The Bulls said in a statement that LaVine is expected to make a full recovery after the successful procedure.

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LaVine, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, fought through discomfort in his injured knee for most of the second half of the 2021-22 regular season after he landed awkwardly while grabbing a rebound against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14.

The 27-year-old LaVine traveled to Los Angeles shortly before the NBA All-Star break to visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed LaVine's ACL surgery in 2017 and Tuesday's procedure.

The guard received cortisone and platelet-rich plasma injections and had fluid drained from his left knee to continue playing the rest of the season. He missed 13 of the Bulls' final 43 games for maintenance on his knee.

"I have to go into the off-season and figure out how to get back to 100%. I played this year not at 100%," LaVine said after the Bulls' first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "[I will] figure out the best plan, strategy to get my knee feeling back to normal."

LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 67 games this season. He was named to the All-Star Game for the second straight season despite laboring through the knee ailment.