Sabonis left off Lithuanian World Cup roster due to thumb injury
Domantas Sabonis has been left off Lithuania's World Cup roster due to a thumb injury.
Lithuanian national team head coach Kazys Maksvytis said the Sacramento Kings center underwent surgery on the thumb, according to BasketNews. However, a league source told James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento that Sabonis hasn't undergone surgery and instead continues to follow a strict rehab protocol.
Sabonis suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb in December 2022 but played through the rest of the NBA campaign without undergoing surgery.
"He tried to recover without the surgery, but it didn't work, and he lost time," Maksvytis said. "After the surgery, everything takes longer."
The coach added, "He apologized for not coming and promised to be available next summer."
Lithuania announced its extended roster heading into training camp earlier on Wednesday.
Lithuania announced their extended roster for the #FIBAWC with possible further additions to start the training camp ๐#WinForLietuva ๐ฑ๐น pic.twitter.com/SaBQ1MNrsK
โ FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 ๐ (@FIBAWC) July 12, 2023
Sabonis, 27, averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game over 79 contests. He made the All-NBA third team and was rewarded with a five-year, $217-million contract renegotiation and extension.
Lithuania, the No. 8 team worldwide, will face Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro in its group matchups in August.
The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia are co-hosting the tournament, with the knockout stages taking place in Manila.