Nets forward-centre Clifford Robinson, among the NBA's career leaders in games and minutes played, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday.
``He's not responding to treatment, he still has swelling,'' New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said before the Nets faced the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. ``Monday afternoon, we'll have answers for it.''
Robinson, who turns 40 next month, is averaging 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in seven games this season. He hasn't played since Nov. 18, when he had two points in 22 minutes against Portland.
``I'm disappointed. Nobody wants to be out, especially when the team can use you,'' said Robinson, who will have surgery when the team's returns home. ``It's better to get it done now than to be limping around all year.''
Neither Frank nor Robinson put a timetable on the six-foot-10, 245-pounder's return. He had a similar operation seven years ago while playing for Phoenix.
Robinson, playing in his 18th NBA season, has appeared in 1,337 games in his career to rank seventh on the league's career list, and 41,752 minutes to rank 14th.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
