Dallas Mavericks guard Danté Exum is expected to miss some time due to a finger injury but will stay with the Australian Boomers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Australian dislocated his finger during the final friendly against France after driving into the lane. Exum promptly exited the game and headed to the locker room. At first, Australia considered the possibility of needing to replace Exum for the Olympics.
Extent of Dante Exum's injury
Scans revealed that Exum had a compound dislocation but no fracture. He is anticipated to participate in the Olympic Games.
“[Exum] suffered a compound dislocation of the right index finger in the game,” Anna Meares, the Australian national team's director told The Herald Sun.
“X-rays have confirmed that there was no fracture, and he is expected to continue on the path to compete at the Games,” she continued.
Dante Exum remains a key player for Australia’s bench, alongside Josh Green, who was traded by the Mavericks this summer as part of a six-team sign-and-trade deal that sent him to the Charlotte Hornets.
The Dallas Mavericks gave the green light for Exum to continue playing in the Olympics on Tuesday, according to ESPN.
Sources said Exum is expected to miss time due to his injury, making him doubtful for Australia's Olympic opener against Spain. However, the Boomers' medical staff is confident he can stay with the team and potentially return during the group phase of the tournament.
This marks Exum’s second injury scare in two days. He suffered a knock to the head during Saturday's exhibition game against Puerto Rico but was quickly cleared of any serious injury.
A vital piece for the Australian men's national basketball team
In his most recent official appearance for the Australian national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Dante Exum averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Exum played a crucial role on the Boomers team that secured a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and was expected to be a key rotation player for Australia in this campaign.
The Boomers have enjoyed a strong pre-Olympic warm-up, going 5-1 in their lead-up games under Brian Goorjian. They secured victories against Serbia and France, with their only loss coming against Team USA.
Winning a nailbiter against France
The Australian men’s basketball team oncluded their Paris 2024 Olympics preparations with a thrilling 83-82 victory over hosts France at the Co'Met Arena in Orleans on Sunday.
With just over two seconds remaining, Australia trailed France by one point before Josh Giddey set up Dyson Daniels for the game-winning basket. Daniels, who has made a notable impact for Brian Goorjian’s team since joining the World Cup squad last year, finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and five assists.
Captain Patty Mills led the Boomers against France with 24 points, two rebounds, and three assists, while Josh Giddey added 20 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
Australia will compete in Group A at the Paris Olympics, alongside Greece, Canada, and Spain.
The Boomers are fired up to take on Spain in their Olympic opener on Saturday. They’re looking to avenge past heartbreaks, including a close loss in the Rio 2016 bronze medal game and a double-overtime defeat at the 2019 World Cup, where they let big leads slip away.
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