O’Bannon’s Knee Still Not Ready

Ed O’Bannon, who missed all of last season after undergoing major knee surgery, will not participate in the first two weeks of UCLA basketball practice, which starts next Tuesday.

O’Bannon’s rehabilitation hit a snag during a pickup game last month when he collided with A.C. Green of the Lakers, fell to the floor and reinjured his left knee.

The knee felt stable enough for O’Bannon to continue playing, but he has experienced excessive swelling since.

“I think he probably pushed it a little too hard a little too soon,” UCLA Coach Jim Harrick said. “He got up here and got excited about playing with Magic (Johnson) and the fellas and probably played a little bit too much.”

Dr. Michael Shapiro, who repaired O’Bannon’s knee during five hours of surgery last Oct. 18, said that it still had not been determined whether O’Bannon had suffered a major setback in his rehabilitation. “We’re still not exactly sure if he has any significant degree of reinjury,” Shapiro said. “What we’re probably going to do is rest him for a short period of time--maybe a few weeks--and give him some anti-inflammatory medicine.”

Shapiro said arthroscopic surgery is also a possibility.

If O’Bannon undergoes surgery again, he would need about three weeks to recover, meaning that he might not be available to play when UCLA opens its season Nov. 15 against Indiana in the Tipoff Classic at Springfield, Mass.

“Hopefully, you’d like to say, ‘He’s going to be ready,’ ” Harrick said. “But it takes a little bit longer sometimes. I’m looking long-range. I want him completely (recovered).”