AP
Michael Jordan

The Washington Wizards have announced that National Basketball Association star Michael Jordan has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured right knee.

The surgery revealed a tear in the lateral meniscus cartilage in Jordan's knee. Wizards team physician Stephen Haas repaired the damage in the operation at a Washington hospital.

Doctor Haas says the injury was the result of the normal wear and tear for an athlete of Jordan's caliber. Jordan will rest for a few days before beginning therapy, and Wizards General Manager Wes Unseld says the team will have a better idea of the time frame for his return at that point. The Wizard star went on the injured list Tuesday and will miss at least five games.

While athletes usually need several weeks to recover from torn cartilage surgery, the outcome is far from the worst case scenario - a career-ending injury - the Wizards had feared.

Jordan leads the Washington in scoring, averaging 24.3 points, six rebounds, and 5.4 assists in almost 37 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 51 points against Charlotte on December 29 and has tallied 40 or more points five times.

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