Charlotte, N.C. ? Charlotte Bobcats forward Emeka Okafor will miss the rest of the season because of an ankle injury that already has cost him 36 games.

Okafor, the reigning rookie of the year, sprained his right ankle twice, and Charlotte doctors recently discovered the injury had led to severe tendinitis around the joint. He was placed in a soft cast Tuesday that he’ll wear for at least a month.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” said Okafor, who sat hunched over during the news conference and rubbed his face in his hands several times.

Okafor, the first draft pick in Bobcats history, was the face of the franchise last season when finished fourth in the NBA in rebounding (10.9 a game) and reached double figures in scoring and rebounding 47 times.

But the former UConn star never had a chance to improve his numbers this season.

Okafor will stay in Charlotte over the summer to continue his rehab and, once his ankle is cleared, Bickerstaff wants him to work his way back into “basketball shape.”