The New York Knicks will officially shut down forward Carmelo Anthony for the rest of the season Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
USA Today reported Anthony has decided to have surgery on his ailing left knee. The procedure is a knee debridement, which will remove dead, damaged, or infected tissue that is causing pain and discomfort, according to the report.
Anthony, the Knicks’ leading scorer, has been dealing with soreness in his left knee for months. Despite the injury, Anthony logged 30 minutes in the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, scoring 14 points on 6-of-20 shooting from the floor.
Anthony, 30, said prior to the All-Star Game that he “very likely” would shut down his season after the break.
“It’s pretty crucial what I’m dealing with,” Anthony said Sunday. “I just want to get it over with, get to the bottom of it. I haven’t made that decision yet. I don’t want this lingering where I’ll be out the whole offseason and then it affects me coming back for next season training camp. Ultimately it’s about me being smart.”
The 12-year veteran has been nursing the injury since the second game of the regular season. The Knicks have referred to the injury as soreness, and Anthony said it is impacting his tendon.
The Knicks entered the All-Star break at 10-43, the worst record in the NBA. The Knicks are 0-13 this season when Anthony sits out. In 40 games, he has averaged 24.2 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists.