Spain national team forward Nikola Mirotic admits his knees are hurting after a scary collision with Australian Aron Baynes in their Rio Olympics bronze medal match.
John Schuhmann reported the incident between Mirotic and Baynes on Twitter.
Mirotic says he's in more pain now than after banging knees with Baynes. Going for "some tests."
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) August 21, 2016
Mirotic and Baynes are both NBA players. The Spaniard plays with the Chicago Bulls while the Australian plies his trade with the Detroit Pistons.
Scary scenarios like this are sometimes the reason why mother ball clubs refuse to lend their players to play for national teams. Moreover, a freak injury on a pivotal player could spell the difference between championship contenders and lottery-bound teams.
Good thing, Mirotic seems fine after the incident as Schuhmann posted an update on his Twitter.
Was walking OK with a smile on his face after the medal ceremony. Can't imagine it's serious. https://t.co/rnGMk6qbt2
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) August 21, 2016
The game was physical all throughout. Both teams totaled 22 fouls each after the fourth quarter buzzer sounded.
The battle for third place ended in a controversial one-point win in favor of Spain, 89-88. Australian big man Andrew Bogut claims the refs botched the blocking foul called on Patty Mills against a driving Sergio Rodriguez in the final seconds of the game. Rodriguez made the two pressure-packed freebies which essentially sealed the win when the Australian Boomers could not get a shot off with just five seconds remaining on the game clock.
Here's to hoping Mirotic's condition gets better so he can celebrate his bronze medal match together with Spain national team members.