National Basketball Association

Henderson has torn labrum in left hip

Published May. 10, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson was undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, a procedure that's expected to alleviate chronic knee pain.

Henderson was having the surgery in Vail, Colo., where a specialist discovered the injury while examining his troublesome left knee.

''Gerald had some knee tendinitis issues this season, and the doctors have told us that fixing this congenital defect in his hip should alleviate those problems,'' Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said in a statement. ''The doctors also feel that addressing the hip issue now will help prevent the possibility of further damage in the future.''

Recovery is expected to take 4-6 months. If there's no lockout, the Bobcats will open training camp in less than five months, and the team is confident Henderson won't miss any time.

The 12th pick in the 2009 draft out of Duke, Henderson played little as a rookie under coach Larry Brown and was out early this season with knee pain. But once Paul Silas replaced Brown in December, Henderson was placed in the rotation. He was made a starter after Gerald Wallace was traded to Portland in February.

Henderson took advantage, scoring in double figures in 22 of the final 28 games, including a 32-point outing against Orlando.