Dante Exum of the Utah Jazz suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during the 2018-19 NBA regular season, forcing him to only play in 42 games with Utah last season.

That injury also forced Exum to be ruled out of competing for Australia in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, where the Australian national team recently upset the United States in thrilling fashion in an exhibition game leading up to the main event.

According to an interview with Exum by 7News Australia, Exum is hoping to be healthy enough to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:

“I just want to get a healthy season, that's my main focus for now, but granted, if I'm 100 percent healthy, I'll definitely put my hand up,” Exum was quoted saying in a story by Callum Godde.

After a rookie year that saw him play in all 82 games and provide sterling defense with exceptional athleticism, Exum has seen his career hamstrung by injuries in each of the past four seasons – including missing all of the 2015-16 campaign with a torn left ACL suffered in international competitions.

Perhaps that’s why Exum is anxious about playing for his country: Last time he did, he suffered an injury that may have altered his basketball future in meaningful ways.

Exum was taken 5th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft and has logged 5.9 points per game, 2.3 assists per game and 1.8 rebounds per game in over 200 games in his career while shooting 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep.