Apr 24, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) watches from the bench during game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at AT
The growing speculation as to where Gasol could land this offseason will come to a roaring hault, as the two-time champion is will now have to undergo surgery to address tend0nosis in both of his knees.
“It’s more than tendinitis, it’s tendonosis,” Gasol said. “There’s a degeneration of the tissue, and it’s something that I’ve dealt with all year. So I’ll have to do something to regenerate the tissue so I don’t have to play with this pain.”
The procedure Gasol will be receiving is known as FAST (Focused Aspiration of Scar Tissue).
According to the Mayo Clinic, the FAST procedure is a minimally invasive treatment designed to remove tendon scar tissue (the source of pain) without disturbing the surrounding healthy tendon tissue.
It is performed under local anesthesia in a non-surgical setting. Most people return to normal activities within 1 to 2 months.
Despite the mild nature of the injury, it still make it hard to see too many teams pining for the services of a 33-year-old coming off surgery for degenerative knee issues.
For me, it’s a no-brainer,” Kobe Bryant said in the Lakers exit interview last week. “We need to get to where we need to go. Like I said, it’s not my money. I’m not the one who has to pay some of those penalties. But my vote would be to keep him here.”
This surgery could turn out to be a blessing in disguise – one that keeps Gasol in LA.
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