By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Suffering a heavy 49-point (115-66) defeat against Besiktas, Pinar Karsiyaka must face another tragic consequence. The 23-year-old dominating center Vernon Carey Jr should likely be out for the rest of the season, and potentially also at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign.
Forced to leave the court in the second half, according to what was reported by the Turkish agency DHA, he may have suffered fractures in both his cruciate ligaments and meniscus.
Undergoing surgery soon, it looks like the American center may miss up to 9 months to recover from such a severe injury.
In his first season in Turkey, he dominated both in the Basketball Champions League and in the BSL. Alongside an experienced asset like Errick McCollum, he had 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the European competition, while putting up 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in domestic action.
After playing four years at Duke, he was selected with the 32nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Hornets. He then spent three years between the NBA and G-League with Charlotte, Washington, and affiliated franchises. This was his first season in Europe, moving to Izmir in the summer of 2023.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League