Bad News Comes in Pairs for 76er Charles Barkley

PHILADELPHIA — The same day Charles Barkley found he did not win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, medical tests showed pain in his shoulder is caused by bone spurs.

Team physician Jack McPhilemy received the diagnosis Tuesday after the Philadelphia 76ers’ forward was given a magnetic resonance imaging test. The spurs, which produce inflamed tendons and occasional numbness, have caused Barkley pain in his right shoulder for more than a year.

The test showed no tears in the tendons or cartilage in the shoulder, but bone spurs generally require surgery for removal. The surgery can be done with an arthroscope, requiring a small incision and relatively short recovery period.

McPhilemy would not speculate on the necessity of surgery in Barkley’s case, saying he will be advised of his options after he returns from vacation, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.