Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt suffered a serious knee injury during a celebrity basketball game earlier this month. The injury forced the band, known for songs “More Than Words” and “Play With Me,” to drop out of the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland. Bettencourt and the rest of the band promised fans they would still be on the road for their Thicker Than Blood tour this summer.
Bettencourt was taking part in a celebrity basketball game during the Monsters of Rock Crusie festival, which took place between April 29 and May 4. In footage posted at LoudWire, the musician was seen grasping for his knee after landing. He needed to be helped off the court and used a wheelchair after the game. Stryper’s Robert Sweet shared a photo on Instagram with Bettencourt, who needed crutches to stand.
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Although Extreme performed during the cruise with Bettencourt sitting, they couldn’t do that again for the M3 Rock Festival. “We are seriously bummed out that we are unable to perform for everyone at the M3 Rock Festival as we’ve been looking forward to the festival for several months,” the group said in a May 4 statement. “We apologize for the inconvenience to fans attending the festival. We can’t wait to come rock with you all on the Thicker Than Blood Tour this Summer.”
Bettencourt later shared an update with fans on his and the band’s Instagram page on May 11. He apologized to everyone impacted by his “poor decision” to take part in a basketball game while the band is on tour. “It’s always been a rule with us that you don’t mess around when you’re on tour because a lot of people rely on you, fans thatbought tickets, your crew that’s with you, promoters that have invested in you, and are paying you to come and do a job,” Bettencourt said. “You have to stay healthy. The way you do that is to not do stupid things like play a useless basketball game that is just for recreation.” The musician went on to call his seated performance “traumatic” for him and vowed to never do that again.
After he got back to California, Bettencourt went to UCLA where he got the worst news he could imagine. He tore his ACL and meniscus and sprained his MCL or the “unholy triad” in sports. Bettencourt apologized to the MORC fans who saw his seated performance and for letting fans down at the MR Rock Festival. He will need major surgery, but he chose not to do it because that would force the band to cancel their upcoming tour dates. Instead, he plans to rehab his knee.
“A message from our brother [Bettencourt]. Wishing him a speedy recovery,” Extreme added in a caption to the video. “Not to worry, Extreme will be out in full force this Summer!”
Extreme is scheduled to perform at the Best of Blues and Rock Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 2. Their summer U.S. tour starts on Aug. 2 in Portland, Maine. The band, which was founded in Boston, will be releasing their new album SIX in June.
