Season Over
Philadelphia,Pa – Elton Brand’s first season in Philadelphia is over.
Brand will have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder Monday, reducing the 76ers’ marquee free-agent to only 29 games. Brand was first injured Dec. 17 against Milwaukee and has played in six games since his return.
He signed a five-year deal worth nearly $80 million in July and averaged only 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in 29 games. Brand missed all but nine games of last season with a torn Achillies’.
Brand had an MRI after sitting out the second half of a 100-99 loss to Boston on Tuesday night. The Sixers first said Wednesday the test revealed no new damage to his right shoulder, and he could play against Indiana on Thursday night
siderable decrease in the range of motion and instability.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday at the Wilmington Surgery Center.
“Elton wanted to do whatever he could to get back on the court and initially elected to forgo surgery in order to help his teammates,” team president Ed Stefanski said. “He worked as hard as he could over the past six weeks to return, however the scope of the injury would not allow it.”
Stefanski planned to address the situation at a Thursday evening news conference.
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Posted: 2/6/09 12:45AM ET