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NBA notes: Jimmy Butler has successful surgery to repair injured meniscus

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Timberwolves All-Star guard Jimmy Butler underwent successful meniscus surgery on his right knee, Minnesota announced Sunday.

The team said the operation was performed by the team’s orthopedic surgeon, Diane Dahm, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Butler will be sidelined indefinitely. The team says further updates on his progress will be issued as he begins rehabilitation.

The injury occurred Friday in a loss to the Houston Rockets. Butler is averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the 56 games he played this season.

Popovich supports LeBron’s activism

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San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich hopes LeBron James never stops speaking up.

Long an admirer of Cleveland’s superstar, Popovich praised James for his activism and for being a role model to “millions” of kids. Popovich also defended James’ right to speak after he was recently criticized by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, who said the NBA’s most high-profile player should “shut up and dribble” after he criticized President Donald Trump.

“To me, when I heard about that, it was just an unbelievable show of arrogance for a talking head to try and tell someone else if they can speak, what they can speak about and when and where to do it,” Popovich said before the Spurs faced James and the Cavaliers. “It’s just ludicrous, but to not have a feel for who this guy is.

“I mean, think about when he came into public view, how young was he? And to this day he hasn’t missed a step, he hasn’t fallen off the ledge and he’s been a brilliant example for millions of kids, especially kids with lesser opportunity and haven’t had the same advantages as others.

“They see in this guy somebody who has consistently exhibited excellence in the workplace and gives them a voice and lets them know that you can speak about anything.”

Agent dies in crash

Colorado authorities say longtime NBA agent Dan Fegan died in a car crash Sunday. He was 56. The Colorado State Patrol says Fegan was driving an SUV when he tried to merge onto a highway and was broadsided by a commuter bus near Aspen, which is about 180 miles west of Denver.

Colorado State Trooper Gabe Easton told the Aspen Times the SUV’s other occupants, Fegan’s 5-year-old son and a 29-year-old California woman, were airlifted to a Denver hospital in serious condition.

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No one on the bus was hurt. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority CEO said the driver didn’t have time to avoid the collision. In 2016, Fegan was on Forbes magazine’s list of top agents. Among the players he had represented are John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Dwight Howard.


UPDATES:

6:30 p.m.: This article has been updated with news of a fatal car crash involving agent Dan Fegan.

This article was originally published at 3:25 p.m.

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