With a couple weeks to go in the regular season, Joakim Noah sprained his ankle and missed a few games. He came back to play the final six and all the Bulls playoff games.
But is ankle was never right, and the French team doctors didn’t like what they saw.
So the French — who have opened training camp to start preparing for EuroBasket, the Olympic qualifying tournament — sent Noah back to the United States to get treatment on his ankle, reports the Chicago Tribune.The French Basketball Federation released a statement saying, “In an act of transparency, the FFBB sent the medical reports to his club and his agent….”
FIBA.com reported the French Basketball Federation sent a representative to Chicago “to coordinate the rehabilitation program of the player in accordance with his agent.”
The Bulls aren’t going to comment because they don’t want to join the ranks of the fined.
Expect Noah to get treatment then rejoin the French team before EuroBasket begins Aug. 31. There are 22 teams in the tournament fighting for two guaranteed spots in the London Olympics next year, with teams finishing three to six heading on to the pre-Olympics qualifying tournament next year for a second shot.