Westbrook's Problamatic Knee Surgery Apparently No Fluke

By Randy Renner

When Thunder All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook had to have his right knee repaired after that now infamous collision with Rockets guard Patrick Beverley the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, was chosen to do the procedure.

The Steadman Clinic had a pristine reputation and a reputation for some very advanced thinking on how to repair injuries like Westbrook's.

It's not clear if Westbrook picked The Steadman Clinic or the Thunder did or it was a combination of several recommendations but what is becoming more clear is that it was a bad decision.

Westbrook of course has had to have to more surgeries on the knee to fix problems left over from the first surgery.

The other procedures weren't performed at Steadman and since then several other high profile athletes, including Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari and skier Lindsey Vonn have had problems with their knee surgeries, also originally performed at Steadman, that have led to other procedures having been done.

The Denver Post published a detailed story in its Sunday edition going into all of the problems. You can read it here.

Neither Westbrook, nor the Thunder, have publically expressed any displeasure with how the first surgery went down at Steadman. Preferring to say it was just one of those things.

Privately who knows what's been said, but as more problems with other high profile athletes surface, you have to believe the Thunder have crossed the Steadman Clinic off their list of places to send their players when surgeries like this are needed.