In a disheartening turn of events, Raul Neto of the Brazilian national basketball team suffered an injury in the opening round of the FIBA World Cup that has prematurely concluded his participation.
The news of Raul Neto’s injury emerged from the Brazilian camp following their convincing victory over Iran with a score of 100:59.
The Fenerbahce playmaker sustained a patellar tendon rupture in his right knee, as officially announced by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation.
Lucas Dias breaks down in tears after Raul Neto's injury. Wishing Raul a speedy recovery โค๏ธ๐ง๐ท#FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/HHjtuvHOc4
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ๐ (@FIBAWC) August 26, 2023
The incident occurred at the beginning of the third quarter when Raul fell and was immediately attended to on the court due to suspected patellar tendon rupture. The injury was subsequently confirmed through an MRI scan conducted a few minutes later.
In most cases, recovery from this type of injury can take anywhere from six to twelve months.
Navigating the mix zone, veteran player Marcelinho Huertas expressed his shock when the incident unfolded and admitted to being deeply concerned upon seeing his teammate on the ground.
“I wasn’t inside, we haven’t spoken with the doctor, but from the outside, it didn’t look good,” he said.
The injury has cast a shadow over Brazil’s World Cup campaign, as they now face the challenge of adapting their game plan without the contribution of their talented playmaker, Raul Neto.