Brook Lopez says he's fully cleared for basketball activities
Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez says that his recovery from surgeries on his right foot and left ankle is going well and that he has been cleared to return to the court.
Lopez, who is touring Russia with his twin brother Robin, told a reporter for Russian television station RBC that he was "fully cleared for play and everything a week and a half ago."
Lopez averaged 20.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 17 games with Brooklyn last season before going down with a broken right foot. He had surgery on Jan. 4 to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his foot, and also underwent another procedure called a metatarsal osteotomy, which repositioned a different bone in his foot.
Lopez previously broke the same foot in 2011, limiting him to just five games that season.
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In March, Lopez underwent another surgery, that time to repair a torn tendon and to tighten ligaments in his left ankle.
During the 2012-13 season, Lopez made the Eastern Conference All-Star team and averaged 19.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 52.1 percent shooting.
This offseason, the Nets lost point guard Shaun Livingston to the Golden State Warriors and forward Paul Pierce to the Washington Wizards.
- Alex Hampl