Jordan Hill shocked and devastated by hip injury

The Lakers announced Friday that Jordan Hill will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury.

Hill was somber when meeting with the media after the Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-101.

“I feel like I let down the team,� said Hill. “I let down the fans.�

According to the Lakers, Hill was examined by team doctor Steve Lombardo and hip specialist Dr. Jason Snibbe Friday and underwent an anthrogram test. The test revealed “loose fragments in addition to a possible labral tear� in the hip, which will require surgery, the team said.

Hill was hurt Sunday against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

“Andre Miller drove baseline and Kobe [Bryant], trying to go back and guard him, he accidentally stepped on my foot,� he said. “Like, I stayed in one spot but my hip kept going. It kind of pulled the joint out.�

Hill was noticeably hobbling around the locker room before Friday’s game. He said the injury simply hadn’t improved as he expected as the week progressed.

“My hip wasn’t feeling right. It had to be something major,� said Hill. “[The doctors] wanted me to get the MRI with the dye in it to make sure. That’s when they found everything that’s wrong with it.�

Hill will get a second opinion before setting a date for the procedure but he noted it’s inevitable.

“I definitely need surgery. It’s definitely mandatory,� said the Lakers forward/center. “I have fragments floating around that need to be out.�

The recovery period should take all the way through to the summer.

“They say about six months, so I have no idea,� said Hill. “I’m just going to see how it turns out.�

Given how poorly the team has started the year (15-21), Hill would like nothing more than to be out on the floor trying to help the Lakers turn their season around.

“I’m a competitor ... I take pride in going out there to help my team out,� said Hill. “I’ve probably never missed more than five games or four games. Just knowing that I’m never going to return, it definitely hit me. It definitely was a shock.�

“I’m really, really disappointed for Jordan,� said point guard Steve Nash. “He was one of the bright spots. I thought he was finding a really nice niche with the offense and his energy on the boards and on defense is always going to be great for our depth. It’s another big blow in a season of blows.�

In the meantime, the Lakers need to get Dwight Howard (shoulder) and Pau Gasol (concussion) back from their injuries if the team wants any chance of climbing up into the top eight in the Western Conference.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.