Injured Ntilikina out of France squad for World Cup

Ntilikina, who left Dallas Mavericks last week to join Charlotte Hornets, was injured late in Friday’s warm-up match against Lithuania.

Published : Aug 12, 2023 19:05 IST , PARIS - 1 MIN READ

France’s Frank Ntilikina in action during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 preparation match against Tunisia.
France’s Frank Ntilikina in action during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 preparation match against Tunisia. | Photo Credit: AFP
infoIcon

France’s Frank Ntilikina in action during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 preparation match against Tunisia. | Photo Credit: AFP

NBA star Frank Ntilikina has been ruled out of France’s bid to win the World Cup because of a thigh injury, the French Basketball Federation announced on Saturday.

Ntilikina, who left Dallas Mavericks last week to join Charlotte Hornets, was injured late in Friday’s warm-up match against Lithuania.

“His injury does not offer guarantees of a satisfactory recovery in time for the start of the World Cup on Friday August 25,” the Federation said in a statement.

The 25-year-old point guard is the second NBA star to drop out in two days following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s announcement on Friday that he had not recovered quickly enough from a thigh injury to join up with Greece.

France opens its Group H games against Canada in Jakarta before taking on Latvia and Lebanon.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment