Panathinaikos forward Nigel Hayes-Davis suffered a fourth metacarpal fracture, which will cause him to miss some time, his club confirmed.
According to Panathinaikos’ statement, Nigel Hayes-Davis suffered a left hand injury during training, which is why he was immediately taken to the hospital.
Panathinaikos further explained that he suffered a fourth metacarpal fracture in his hand and was fitted with a special splint.
Hayes-Davis will be out of action for six weeks, meaning he will miss the official start of the season in both the EuroLeague and the Greek Basket League.
GET WELL SOON, NIGEL 💚
— Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) September 1, 2026
Κατά τη διάρκεια της σημερινής (1/9) προπόνησης του Παναθηναϊκού AKTOR, o Νάιτζελ Χέιζ-Ντέιβις τραυματίστηκε στο αριστερό χέρι. Αμέσως μετέβη στο νοσοκομείο «ΥΓΕΙΑ» για εξετάσεις, οι οποίες έδειξαν πως υπέστη κάταγμα τετάρτου μετακαρπίου και του… pic.twitter.com/NoGvW2QGQ4
Return from the NBA
Nigel Hayes-Davis arrived at Panathinaikos following an unsuccessful stint in the NBA, where he was a member of the Phoenix Suns. After the Suns traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Wisconsin-based team waived him.
Several European powerhouses were interested in him, including Fenerbahce – where he previously played, won a EuroLeague title, and earned EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors – as well as Hapoel Tel Aviv, but the American forward ultimately chose Panathinaikos.
He quickly established himself as one of the team’s key figures upon arriving in Athens, helping the team win the Greek Cup. They also managed to reach the EuroLeague playoffs through the play-in tournament, but Valencia stopped them in five games, despite Panathinaikos leading 2-0 in the series.
The 31-year-old averaged 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 34.1% from three-point range across 16 EuroLeague appearances.
Misfortune continues for Panathinaikos
Nigel Hayes-Davis is not the first Panathinaikos star to suffer an injury recently, as Kendrick Nunn faced a similar setback prior to him.
Nunn picked up the injury during individual workouts in the United States and subsequently underwent surgery on his right knee. Panathinaikos confirmed that Nunn suffered a medial meniscus tear in his right knee during his individual training sessions.
The 30-year-old guard is expected to require approximately six to eight weeks to complete his rehabilitation.
Panathinaikos’ star-studded roster
However, these absences should be somewhat mitigated given the reinforcements that arrived in Athens this summer. The Greek club have strengthened several areas of the roster with a series of high-profile additions.
Among the newcomers are Guerschon Yabusele, who arrives from the NBA, Brancou Badio from Valencia, and Sylvain Francisco from Asvel. Panathinaikos have also signed Isaac Bonga from Partizan and Moustapha Fall from Olympiacos.
All of them are expected to be available for Zeljko Obradovic for the start of the new season, scheduled for September 24, when Panathinaikos hosts Paris in the first round of the 2026/27 EuroLeague season.
