Shoulder injury ends Elton Brand's season

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers have lost center Elton Brand for the balance of the NBA season to a right shoulder injury, which needs surgery.

The 6-foot, 9-inch, 254-pound Brand, a 10-year veteran, dislocated the shoulder in a game against Milwaukee on Dec. 17, and missed 16 games.

The team said on it Web site Friday that an MRI revealed a torn labrum.

His surgery, scheduled for Monday, marks the second straight year Brand's season has ended because of injury.

"He worked as hard as he could over the past six weeks to return, however the scope the injury would not allow it," said General Manager Ed Stefanski.

Brand played in only eight games for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007-08 season because of an Achilles injury.

The Chicago Bulls' first-round pick in the 1999 draft finishes the season with a career-low 13.8 points scoring average and 8.8 rebounds in 29 games.

He signed a five-year, $80 million free agent contract last offseason.