By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Atlanta Hawks and Serbia NT star Bogdan Bogdanovic has been suffering from knee pain for months now and his participation in the 2022 EuroBasket in September is unlikely, according to reports by mozzartsport.com.
Bogdanovic, 29, has faced these issues for quite a while now, but still managed to play through pain with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs this past April vs. the Miami Heat.
As Djordje Matic of mozzartsport.com highlights, the medical staff of the Hawks have suggested that the only way to treat this knee pain is through undergoing a routine operation, which would be best done during the offseason.
That means that Bogdanovic will have to remain sidelined this summer in order to recover, and even with the current FIBA-NBA insurance policy, if he opts in to reinforce the Serbian selection, it will add a lot of pressure on him.
Even Serbian NT head coach Svetislav Pesic has indirectly ruled out Bogdanovic’s participation, in a recent interview with Serbia’s K1 TV.
“For me, the EuroBasket is very far away,” said Pesic, as adapted by mozzartsport.com. “I don’t know yet with whom we will play or qualify. We are waiting for the Super League to end, then for the ABA League to end, to see who will be ready. Some players will have to undergo operations, they may not be able to play Eurobasket either. Some have to rest because this is not the NBA system, but the European one. From September 15 to June 15, there is no break, which is a huge burden, there are injuries. We have to see which players are mentally and physically ready to play matches with Latvia and Belgium”.
Photo credit: FIBA