SACRAMENTO, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The Sacramento Kings say point guard Mike Bibby will miss six to 10 weeks because of a torn ligament in his left thumb.
The nine-year veteran suffered the injury at practice Thursday in Las Vegas, and missed the Kings' preseason finale Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The extent of the injury was discovered during an MRI.
"It's tough for me because he was playing so hard and his attitude was tremendous," Coach Reggie Theus told the Sacramento Bee. "The player's look to him as the leader of the team in a lot of ways."
Bibby's loss is the latest for the depleted Kings, who will begin the regular season against New Orleans next Wednesday without forward Ron Artest (suspension) and rookie center Spencer Hawes (left knee surgery).
The Kings likely will use a combination of John Salmons, Quincy Douby, Francisco Garcia, and rookie Mustafa Shakur as their primary ball-handlers in Bibby's absence.
