Basketball: Serbians might be without Stojakovic for Eurobasket
AFP
January 27, 2007
NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) - Peja Stojakovic, sidelined from the National Basketball Association since November with a back injury, could miss the rest of the season and might not play for Serbia in EuroBasket 2007.
New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets coach Byron Scott told the Sacramento Bee newspaper that Stojakovic, who has played only 13 games for the Hornets since signing last year, might not return his season despite surgery in mid-December.
"I think that's a realistic possibility," Scott said. "I think you've got to be prepared for that. In Peja's situation, you have to be prepared for the worst."
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Stojakovic, 29, joined Darko Milicic of Orlando and Nenad Krstic of New Jersey in committing to play in Spain at the the European championship, but since then Krstic has been sidelined by a season-ending knee injury.
The Serbian squad is looking much like the one that played in the world championships last August in Japan, one lacking most of Serbia's top NBA stars.