NOCIONI CRIES OUT

Andres Nocioni announced that he is out
of the FIBA World Championships in a press
conference at Kayseri Hilton.

Andres Nocioni broke into tears as he announced that he will be out of Team Argentina in the FIBA World Championships, according to FIBA.com. It was supposed to be his last World cage stint but a severe sprained left ankle prevented him from seeing action. Adding to his woes is his NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Nocioni said the Sixers exercised the option in his contract of  pulling him out of the Nationals due to injury. Nocioni suffered the injury during a team practice in late July. Marcos Mata was called up to replace Nocioni in the official Argentina lineup.

“It is with a lot of pain in my soul that I have to announce that I won’t play in the FIBA World Championship.   The Philadelphia 76ers exercised an option in my contract that when I get injured during national team activities they can prevent me from playing.

“I told everyone that I was playing 100% in the FIBA World Championship and the team (76ers) and the doctors advised me to not play because of the risks. A second MRI was made where damage was shown and I will have to be without doing any physical work for 4-5 weeks.  t is sad because this was going to be my last FIBA World Championship playing at a high level. It broke my dream of playing here for my country.”