Oklahoma City Thunde announce Westbrook has knee surgery, could miss opener

Former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook could miss the first few games of the NBA season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced Wednesday.

The All-Star guard will be re-evaluated in four weeks, and he is expected to miss all of the preseasons. The Thunder begins regular-season play Oct. 16 against the Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder said Westbrook experienced stiffness and inflammation in his knee during individual workouts in the last week. He chose to have the surgery as a pre-emptive measure so that he didn't face knee issues throughout the season.

Training camp opens Sept. 25.

Westbrook first faced knee problems in 2013, when he suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee during the playoffs. He underwent three knee surgeries over a nine-month period.

Westbrook, who turns 30 in November, holds career averages of 23.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in 748 games. He is a seven-time All-Star and won the 2016-17 league MVP award.