Australia drew a collective breath when Joe Ingles knee buckled during Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the news from the Utah Jazz was devastating, a heart-breaking season-ending ACL tear.
For four-time Olympian Joe Ingles injury is part of the game however this one especially hurts for the 34-year-old coming off a medal winning performance in Tokyo and in the middle of a NBA season with Utah Jazz.
Longtime friend and Boomers coach Brian Goorjian was hoping for the best but on hearing the news remains stoic.
“Joe is the toughest and most fearless competitor I know. If he puts his mind to something, he will achieve it. This is a hump in the road for Joe and he will come through it. I have been in contact with Matt Nielsen who is with Utah Jazz and will be reaching out to Joe in the coming days personally to check in on him. I will be telling him that the entire Australian basketball community is 100% behind him and all our thoughts are with him as he prepares for the road to recovery.”
Joe is one of those extremely popular figures with players and fans alike, Utah Jazz teammate Mike Conley Jr summed up the feelings of the players.
“Everybody came in there and told him we loved him, gave him a hug and told him we’re going to keep fighting, just keep trying to go forward for him.”
Joe will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, and we wish him and the family all the best for his recovery.
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In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.