Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will miss the first four to six weeks of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday.

The team announced that Westbrook needed the operation after experiencing swelling in his right knee, which he injured during last season's playoffs.

The three-time All-Star had surgery on the same knee in May to repair a torn lateral meniscus.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said that the swelling in Westbrook's knee was caused by a loose stitch from the previous surgery and that Westbrook's meniscus has healed properly.

Presti commended Westbrook for his hard work in rehabbing from the original surgery but acknowledged that an additional operation provided the 24-year-old with "the best chance" to return at 100 percent.

"His performance levels have been tremendous, and he's looked great in the part of practice that he's been cleared to go through," Presti said. "So we were very, very encouraged in that respect. But when the swelling wasn't subsiding, we made the decision to have the knee evaluated."

Westbrook said last week that once he's fully recovered, he doesn't plan on changing anything about his playing style, including his proclivity for driving to the basket.

Westbrook averaged 23.2 points and 7.4 assists last season for the Thunder, who finished with the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. He was injured in Game 2 of a first-round series against the Houston Rockets, a matchup won by Oklahoma City in six games.