Minnesota Sports Forum

I’ve got/had the same injury at Ant. I’m not a professional basketball player by any stretch of the imagination but do a lot of cardio - mainly trail running. Marathons and Ultra’s a few times a year. Running down hill is what triggers it the most for me.

It’s an injury that simply needs rest to heal, although I was encourage to continue weight training - mainly leg press and curl type exercises, strengthening of quads, hamstrings and calves to take load off the knee.

I’m at that point where I might need a similar surgery to ‘clean it up’ to stop it flaring up again, which it tends to do. I’ve had meniscus surgery on the other knee which is the next step up in terms of knee injuries.

Thankfully Ant’s is only runners knee. He’ll be back in a couple of months, I have no doubt.

Im nervous if it seems chronic. The guy is an athletic force and I am not sure that he could or should reign it in for his style of play. I guess we will see, but last year was tough watching him try to power through his injury issues. Hope he can figure it out beyond just trying to be tough and endure the pain. This team has been fun so far, sad this is happening already. Will be interesting to see what Finch comes up with in the interim.

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 10:59 am

FNG wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 9:24 am I agree that as Ant’s game has matured and his knee began to bother him, he has made some adjustments to his offensive game. But he did have a couple explosive moves in the Cavs game. And he scored 47 points despite a knee that needs surgery! In addition, it’s clear that he took his defense to a new level this season. I don’t understand the narrative that his performance will be worse after he returns from this surgery. A good friend of mine who had this surgery a decade ago and ran the Boston marathon in a record time (for him) less than a year later said this to me last night: “he’ll be able to do everything he’s doing now when he returns…he’ll just be doing it without pain.”

As some of you have pointed out, not making all NBA is going to cost Ant millions. But I think he’ll still be able to afford going out to dinner once in a while, and the cap savings will go a long way to allowing TC to retain key pieces. A silver lining for him.

Most were worried about KAT's surgery a few years ago, he came back quickly and played in the playoffs that last year for us, and has played in 72 and 75 games the last two years with the Knicks...winning a championship along the way.

Yeah, but the dude is 7 feet tall and barely gets off the floor anyway. Ant needs those knees to be able to handle running the floor harder, cutting and changing directions, bursting off the dribble, exploding to the rim, and obviously landing.

Ant can and has obviously dialled the explosiveness back the last couple seasons, and we've seen his game mature especially with his shooting as he's done that. But he will still need those knees to be able to handle much more than KAT ever has just because of how he plays.

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 2:52 pm I’ve got/had the same injury at Ant. I’m not a professional basketball player by any stretch of the imagination but do a lot of cardio - mainly trail running. Marathons and Ultra’s a few times a year. Running down hill is what triggers it the most for me.

It’s an injury that simply needs rest to heal, although I was encourage to continue weight training - mainly leg press and curl type exercises, strengthening of quads, hamstrings and calves to take load off the knee.

I’m at that point where I might need a similar surgery to ‘clean it up’ to stop it flaring up again, which it tends to do. I’ve had meniscus surgery on the other knee which is the next step up in terms of knee injuries.

Thankfully Ant’s is only runners knee. He’ll be back in a couple of months, I have no doubt.

Good insight Kiwi. I guess the issue is his didn't really heal from rest.

We'll hopefully find out more about the true extent of the "clean up" after Thursday's surgery.

https://www.reddit.com/r/timberwolves/s/0I4TCybAYP

I’m happy to learn it’s not a meniscus.

I'd be much more concerned if the issue was on his hyperextended knee.

Ant’s surgery was deemed successful. It was described by the team as debridement surgery. Here’s what Google Gemini had to say about knee debridement surgery:

Knee debridement is typically done arthroscopically, meaning the surgeon doesn't have to cut open the whole joint.
1. Small Incisions: The surgeon makes 2 to 3 tiny "keyhole" cuts around the knee.
2. Camera Insertion: A thin tube with a camera and light (an arthroscope) is inserted, projecting high-definition images of your joint onto a monitor.
3. The Clean-Up: Sterile fluid is pumped in to expand the joint and wash out loose debris (a process called joint lavage). Using tiny tools, the surgeon smooths down rough, ragged cartilage and clips away torn tissues.

Common Reasons for the Surgery

• Meniscus Tears: Trimming a torn piece of the shock-absorbing knee cartilage when it cannot be sewn back together (repaired) due to poor blood supply.
• Loose Bodies: Sucking out free-floating pieces of bone or cartilage that get caught and cause the knee to click, lock, or catch.
• Osteoarthritis Support: Smoothing down rough cartilage to provide temporary symptom relief and delay the need for a total knee replacement, though it is not a permanent cure for arthritis.

Recovery Timeline

Because it is minimally invasive, recovery is significantly faster than traditional "open" surgery.
• Day of Surgery: You go home the same day. You will likely need crutches for a few days to a couple of weeks to manage initial pain and swelling.
• Weeks 1–2: Most people with sedentary or desk jobs can return to work within a week or two.
• Weeks 4–6: Swelling subsides, and with the help of physical therapy to restore strength and range of motion, many individuals can return to light exercise and normal daily life.
• Months 2–3: Full recovery and clearance to return to high-impact sports or heavy physical labor generally takes 2 to 3 months.

When I had this done I was walking on a treadmill within a week and began running a week later. I did develop arthritis that eventually led to knee replacement later in life.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 5:00 pm

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 2:52 pm I’ve got/had the same injury at Ant. I’m not a professional basketball player by any stretch of the imagination but do a lot of cardio - mainly trail running. Marathons and Ultra’s a few times a year. Running down hill is what triggers it the most for me.

It’s an injury that simply needs rest to heal, although I was encourage to continue weight training - mainly leg press and curl type exercises, strengthening of quads, hamstrings and calves to take load off the knee.

I’m at that point where I might need a similar surgery to ‘clean it up’ to stop it flaring up again, which it tends to do. I’ve had meniscus surgery on the other knee which is the next step up in terms of knee injuries.

Thankfully Ant’s is only runners knee. He’ll be back in a couple of months, I have no doubt.

Good insight Kiwi. I guess the issue is his didn't really heal from rest.

We'll hopefully find out more about the true extent of the "clean up" after Thursday's surgery.

Kiwi do you have any tips for someone getting older, needing to lose some weight but wants to run an ultra someday? Lol

My knees even back in HS would get sore sometimes but some of that was probably the cement surface we played basketball on for hours a week at my school. Other than a tweek here or there that needed a few days of rest my knees have held up pretty good especially since I am at least 50 lbs overweight. This week I was able to get into a groove and run most of the time on over a 3 mile run which was a pretty big deal for me. Getting old sucks.

Monster wrote: ↑Thu Oct 29, 2026 10:03 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 5:00 pm

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Oct 28, 2026 2:52 pm I’ve got/had the same injury at Ant. I’m not a professional basketball player by any stretch of the imagination but do a lot of cardio - mainly trail running. Marathons and Ultra’s a few times a year. Running down hill is what triggers it the most for me.

It’s an injury that simply needs rest to heal, although I was encourage to continue weight training - mainly leg press and curl type exercises, strengthening of quads, hamstrings and calves to take load off the knee.

I’m at that point where I might need a similar surgery to ‘clean it up’ to stop it flaring up again, which it tends to do. I’ve had meniscus surgery on the other knee which is the next step up in terms of knee injuries.

Thankfully Ant’s is only runners knee. He’ll be back in a couple of months, I have no doubt.

Good insight Kiwi. I guess the issue is his didn't really heal from rest.

We'll hopefully find out more about the true extent of the "clean up" after Thursday's surgery.

Kiwi do you have any tips for someone getting older, needing to lose some weight but wants to run an ultra someday? Lol

My knees even back in HS would get sore sometimes but some of that was probably the cement surface we played basketball on for hours a week at my school. Other than a tweek here or there that needed a few days of rest my knees have held up pretty good especially since I am at least 50 lbs overweight. This week I was able to get into a groove and run most of the time on over a 3 mile run which was a pretty big deal for me. Getting old sucks.

It isn't even the jumping, it's the landing that I can no longer handle, even after losing 60 lbs. It hurts just thinking about it.