BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Serbian basketball federation says Nemanja Bjelica will miss the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of a right-foot injury.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward missed the Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade, where Serbia clinched one of the three remaining places at the Olympics.
The injury has been described as an inflamed nerve. Bjelica said the injury needs another three weeks to heal.
Bjelica is a longtime pillar of Serbia’s team and his absence will be a serious blow to the squad’s hopes of gaining a medal.
Serbia also will be without center Boban Marjanovic, who decided to skip the qualifying tournament while negotiating a contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Coach Aleksandar Djordjevic then decided not to include Marjanovic in the Olypmic squad.