Per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel…
A basketball source has confirmed that Michael Redd suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Sunday night in Los Angeles. The injury will sideline the Bucks shooting guard for the rest of the season.
The injury is the same one that Redd suffered nearly one year ago, on Jan. 24 against Sacramento at the Bradley Center. He suffered a torn ACL and torn MCL in his left knee on that night and was lost for the rest of the season.
On Sunday, Redd planted on his left foot as he made a move in the lane during the Bucks’ 95-77 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. He immediately was helped off the court.
Redd had a magnetic resonance imaging exam done in Phoenix on Monday, and the test revealed the ligament tears.
The 30-year-old Redd has been plagued by injuries in recent years. He missed the final 35 games of last season after being injured, and he was out for 16 games earlier this season due to a left patella tendon strain.
As a Bucks fan living in Southern California, I actually attended the Bucks/Lakers tilt last night at Staples Center. Redd drove into the lane, came to a jump stop and his knee just gave out. He has struggled this season to get back into the groove, but over the last few games he was starting to (sort of) resemble his old self.
I know that there are Bucks fans out there that want to be rid of Redd, but I think that anger is directed more towards his contract than at the player himself. In his heyday, he was a stone cold shooter, and could make contested jumpers from anywhere on the floor. He is also a good citizen and teammate, and a good locker room guy. I feel bad for him.
From a salary cap perspective, this injury obviously kills any chance the Bucks had of moving Redd before the trade deadline next month. Next season, he is due to make $18.3 million in the final year of his contract. He could opt out, but there’s a better chance that Barry Bonds will admit to using steroids while wearing a yellow and white polka-dot dress on St. Swithin’s Day.
The Bucks are just going to have to ride this one out and retool in the summer of 2011.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
