Vols’ Turner to Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Lamonte Turner has played his last game as a Tennessee Volunteer.
The senior guard announced following UT’s 75-53 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday that he required season-ending surgery on his left shoulder after discovering that he was suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Turner said the decision came after a lengthy discussion with his family.
“I played my last game tonight as a Vol,” Turner said. “As of two weeks ago, we finally figured out that I have thoracic outlet syndrome.”
A nerve-affecting injury that could potentially cause further damage if left untreated, the issue has plagued Turner throughout the season.
Current Orlando Magic guard and former no. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz also dealt with the same injury during his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Turner has been undergoing therapy and even had an injection in his chest two weeks ago in an attempt to correct it.
Neither of those attempts were effective, forcing Turner to make perhaps the most difficult decision of his collegiate career.
“I’m choosing to have surgery, so I won’t be playing anymore,” Turner said. “It’s a tough decision for me to make, but I have to do it for my health, because if I don’t, it could get worse.”
Turner’s time at Tennessee will be remembered for the numerous clutch shots he hit over the years.
He was averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 assists for the season, both career-highs.
As Turner held back the tears, he issued a lengthy statement of gratitude for Tennessee fans, thanking them for their support since his arrival prior to the 2015-16 season.
“This is the next step for me, this is a decision that me and my family made and felt like it was best,” Turner said. “So I wanted to tell Vol Nation that I’m always going to appreciate them for the support over these 4-5 years.”
The decision did not come easy for either Turner or his family, but after weighing the options, they felt it was in his best interest to attack the issue as quickly as possible.
Turner has fought through plenty of emotional moments over the years, but none of them could have prepared him for this one.
Following the final buzzer, the Florence, Alabama, native was brought to tears in the locker room.
Not even the celebration of head coach Rick Barnes’ 700th career victory could divert Turner’s attention.
“It’s just tough for me, I get emotional thinking about it, I get emotional talking about it,” Turner said. “I appreciate everything that everyone has done for me.”
As he faced the Knoxville media for what could be the final time, Turner emotionally thanked his teammates, crediting their support with his ability to play this long while dealing with a previously unknown injury.
“I just want to thank them because without them, I wouldn’t have been able to make it this far.”
