A Serbian power forward required surgery to remove a kidney after taking an elbow to his midsection during a game against South Sudan at the FIBA World Cup last week.
The Serbian Federation announced on Monday (H/T ESPN) that Borisa Simanic has undergone an operation that has cost him one of his kidneys following a shot from South Sudan’s Nuni Omot during Serbia’s win on Wednesday.
The player went down immediately after being hit and was taken to the hospital, where he had emergency surgery that same night.
That was not the end of the ordeal for Simanic as he experienced complications over the weekend. Though several teammates volunteered to give him their blood, there was an issue finding his blood type and he had to go under the knife a second time to have his kidney removed.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Omot has apologized for his involvement, insisting he was not trying to make a dirty play while wishing Simanic a speedy recovery.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to make no type of a dirty play. I hope you have a speedy recovery. I pray for you, you’ll be in my prayers,” he said. “I’m not a dirty player, I’ve never been a dirty player. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize to everyone that’s watching and to the player especially.”
The 25-year-old Simanic has been playing on the Serbian national team since his teens and was on the Utah Jazz’s Summer League team last year. He has also taken the court as a pro in both Serbia and Spain.
Simanic’s No. 28 jersey has been placed on an empty seat on Serbia’s bench for the past two games.
Serbia is set to play Lithuania in the quarterfinals of said competition this Tuesday.
