By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dante Exum is dealing with a fracture in his right index finger, heading to the 2024 Olympic Games.
The 29-year-old guard is expected to miss at least Australia’s opener against Spain on Saturday, according to multiple reports following team practice on Friday.
Picking up the injury during a tuneup game versus France, Exum was cleared to play in the Olympics, sidestepping potential surgery to address the setback. However, his progress fell short of featuring for the Boomers in Gameday 1 of Group A of the preliminary round. Beyond missing the clash with Spain in Lille, he seems doubtful to play in Gameday 2 versus Canada on Tuesday. Wrapping up the round-robin schedule of Group A, Australia takes on Greece next Friday.
In 2021, the Melbourne native produced 9.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, helping his country rank third and capture bronze medals in the 2020 Tokyo Games. More international action at the senior level through the 2014 and 2023 editions of the FIBA World Cup resulted in helping Australia finish 12th and 10th, respectively.
Returning to the NBA after two seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with FC Barcelona and Partizan Mozzart Bet, Exum joined the Dallas Mavericks. Over 76 games between the 2023-24 Regular Season and the 2024 Playoffs presented by Google Pixel, he tallied 6.2 points per contest up to the 2024 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV. Between 2014 and 2021, he played for the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL