Serbian Player Loses Kidney At FIBA World Cup, Which Might Make NBA Players Who Decided To Sit It Out Glad They Did

A Serbian basketball player suffered a nasty injury at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which might have all those NBA players who opted not to show up for it feeling pretty good about their decision.

According to The New York Post, the Serbian Basketball Federation revealed that forward Borisa Simanic had lost a kidney stemming from an injury sustained in the tournament.

Serbia — who have a semifinal game against Canada on Friday — was playing South Sudan last week. With time winding down, South Sudan’s Nuni Omot hit Simanic with an elbow which sent the Serbian to the floor in pain.

While Omot denied any ill-intent, it was a bad scene, one that impacted many of Simanic's teammates.

“It was tough for us when we heard what happened,” Serbian forward Nikola Milutinov said earlier this week. “First, we didn’t believe it was such a bad thing. It’s really affected us. We’re really praying for him that he’s going to be good as soon as possible.”

Fans hold a poster of Serbia's Borisa Simanic who underwent surgery to remove a kidney after being injured at the FIBA World Cup in Manila, the Philippines, Sept. 5, 2023. (Photo by Wu Zhuang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Simanic Had His Kidney Removed After Complications During Initial Surgery

Milutinov said the team didn't get much sleep after the game because they were " trying to find blood for (Simanic), because he was losing a lot of blood."

Simanic underwent surgery in Manila after the game. However, some complications led to a second surgery and the removal of the kidney.

While this is an extreme example, it shows once again why a lot of big-name players are hesitant to compete in international tournaments just weeks out from the NBA season.

NBA stars like the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic were just two players who decided to skip the World Cup and focus on recovering from various injuries.

While we all want to see the best players compete on the international stage — and surely they want to represent their countries as well — there are always some risks.

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