Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons underwent successful back surgery on Thursday at Cedars-Sini Marina Del Ray Hospital in Los Angeles.
Simmons had microdiscectomy surgery performed by Dr. Robert Walkins IV and it will take three weeks for him to recover. After the initial recovery period, the 25-year-old will start a rehab program.
Simmons is expected to make a full recovery before the start of training camp next season, the Nets said in a statement. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that Simmons was looking at a three to four-week recovery period.
The Brooklyn Nets only publicized that Simmons would be undergoing the procedure on Wednesday night. Microdiscectomy surgery helps relieve pain related to a herniated disc, which Simmons has been suffering from since he started his reconditioning after being traded to the Nets in February.
In a statement on Wednesday, Brooklyn said that it came to the conclusion that surgery was the “best course of action for Ben’s long-term health.”
Simmons was never able to make it onto the court for the Nets following the blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia. After arriving in Brooklyn, Simmons had begun his reconditioning process after sitting out the season to work on his mental health.
However, that was when the flare-ups in his back began. He received an epidural in March and looked as though he was going to be able to finally play in the playoffs. It was expected that he’d play in Game 4 before he again had more pain in his back that prevented that from happening.
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The inability to get Ben Simmons onto the court was a tough blow for the Nets, who could have used him on the floor late in the season and against Boston. For their part, the Nets players never put any extra pressure on him to return before he was ready.
“Ben’s good, we have Ben, we have his back, he’s going to be good for next year,” Kyrie Irving said after Brooklyn was eliminated. “Now we just turn the page and look forward to what we’re building as a franchise and really get tougher.”
