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Sacramento Kings star forward Domantas Sabonis was set to lead the Lithuanian national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but that is no longer the case.
Lithuanian national team head coach Kazys Maksvytis confirmed during a press conference that Sabonis underwent surgery to repair a right thumb injury, and he will not be available when the FIBA World Cup runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
“The main reasons behind Domantas availability this summer was his contract and health,” Maksvytis said. “He tried to recover without the surgery, but it didn’t work, and he lost time. After the surgery, everything takes longer.”
It sounds like the 27-year-old was not happy about missing the opportunity to represent his home country in the world tournament, as Maksvytis added, “He apologized for not coming and promised to be available next summer.”
There is reportedly no timetable for Sabonis’ recovery, and it’s not yet clear whether or not he will be available for the start of the 2023-24 season.
Sabonis was originally diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb in December. However, he continued to play through the injury and put forth one of the best seasons of his career.
The big man started all 79 games he played and led the league with 12.3 rebounds per game while averaging 19.1 points. He also set new career highs with 7.3 assists and a 61.5 shooting percentage. His efforts earned him his third career All-Star selection as well as a spot on the All-NBA third team.
Sabonis was a major reason for the Kings’ success, as they finished third in the West with a 48-34 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The team rewarded him with a five-year, $217 million contract extension earlier this month.
Sacramento is surely hoping Sabonis will be back at full strength next season as the team tries to build on the success of this past year.
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