13 Oct 2014

OKC to start without Durant

7:10 am on 13 October 2014

The Oklahoma City Thunder's star forward and the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant faces up to two months on the basketball sidelines with a broken right foot.

The four-time NBA scoring champion, who complained of pain after a workout yesterday, will require surgery for the break at the base of the small toe, which typically takes six-to-eight weeks of recovery time.

Kevin Durant playing for Team USA

Kevin Durant playing for Team USA Photo: PHOTOSPORT

That would sideline the 26-year-old playmaker for at least the first month of the upcoming NBA season.

"After practice yesterday, Kevin made us aware of discomfort in his right foot," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said this morning.

"We proceeded to perform the necessary imaging studies to determine the cause of his discomfort."

"We are in the process of collaboratively evaluating the most appropriate next steps with Kevin, his representatives, and Thunder medical personnel."

"Until a course of action is determined, we are unable to provide a timeline specific to Kevin's case."

Durant averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game last season, sparking the Thunder to the Western Conference finals, where they were eliminated by the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

The forward, who guided Oklahoma City into the 2012 NBA Finals, where the Thunder were beaten by the Miami Heat, set an Olympic scoring record with 19.5 points a game in 2012 and added 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals a game to spark the Americans to gold at London.

Durant, who helped the US win the 2010 world title, pulled out of this year's world championships squad citing mental and physical exhaustion.

The Americans went on to defend their crown in Spain.