Rui Hachimura will no longer play in Paris.
The Los Angeles Lakers forward is ruled out of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament due to a left calf injury, the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) said Friday.
The announcement was issued just hours prior to their game against Brazil in a battle between teams looking to break through the win column.
According to the federation, Hachimura suffered an injury during their eventual – and controversial – 94-90 overtime defeat to hosts France last July 30.
That match saw him submit his best performance of the tilt with 24 points on a 10-of-16 clip, but was tossed out for incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls.
(C) FIBA.basketball
“After undergoing an MRI scan on-site, [Hachimura] was diagnosed with an injury to the left gastrocnemius muscle,” part of the statement said.
“Due to this diagnosis, Hachimura will be leaving the team.”
After two outings, the 6-foot-8 big man will be leaving the Paris Games with averages of 22.0 points on 40.0-percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds.
“As my injury required early treatment, I was unfortunately unable to accompany the team in accordance with NBA/FIBA rules,” said Hachimura in a statement.
“I would like to thank all the spectators who supported me at the venue, basketball fans around the world, and all the fans in Japan.”
