Veteran Heat reporters have countered claims from Serbian sources that Jovic has a broken ankle.
Jovic initially sustained the injury during a workout with the Heat at the Kaseya Center in Miami last month.
Alarming photos emerged showing him in a walking boot, and since then, he has been unable to train with the Serbian national team in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
He was also absent from Serbia’s first warm-up game against France on Friday.
Meridian Sport, as reported by NBC Sports, claimed that Jovic had an ankle fracture that would sideline him for the entire Olympics and possibly the start of the NBA season.
However, the Miami Heat quickly refuted this through statements to the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
According to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel, “Despite reports from European media outlets that forward Nikola Jovic has a fractured ankle and will miss the Olympics for Serbia, the Miami Heat’s medical staff is defining that injury as a sprain, as well as a metatarsal fracture, with no formal Heat determination yet on Jovic’s Olympic status.”
The Heat’s medical staff clarifies that Jovic’s injury is a sprain combined with a metatarsal fracture, rather than a complete ankle fracture.
They have not yet made a definitive decision regarding his participation in the Olympics.
This clarification is crucial as it suggests that while Jovic’s injury is significant, it may not be as severe as initially reported, leaving some hope for his recovery and potential participation in both the Olympics and the upcoming NBA season.
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