Seals Injures Knee, Will Have Surgery

Guard Shea Seals, who played in only four games as a rookie with the Lakers last season, is scheduled to undergo surgery today on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Seals, who is a free agent and cannot negotiate with teams or use their medical facilities during the NBA lockout, told the Tulsa World that he suffered the injury earlier this summer while playing in the FILA Summer Pro League at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

The Lakers signed Seals as an undrafted free agent out of Tulsa last season, and thought enough of him to carry him on the injured list for most of the season. Seals scored only four points.

Because of the lockout, Seals, who had arthroscopic surgery on the same knee when he was a college freshman, told the Tulsa World that he is paying for the surgery--being performed at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa--with his own medical insurance.

Recovery from anterior cruciate ligament tears can take anywhere from several months to more than a year.