By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
“I’m sorry, but I will not be part of the Eurobasket this year.”
This is the sentence that begins Jan Vesely‘s official announcement regarding his withdrawal from the Czech national team this summer. A serious blow for the squad that loses one of its two major pillars, the other being Washington Wizards guard Tomas Satoransky.
“I had a long, demanding and successful season with Fenerbahce and I am physically and mentally exhausted,” Vesely adds. “At the end of July I got married, something very important to me and I feel like I cannot get ready for a challenging tournament like the EuroBasket in two weeks. The risk of injury and bad shape ahead of the new season might affect me negatively”.
He then concludes, “It’s not easy for me to not be a part of the team, but unfortunately, my absence is the best solution. I wish all the guys the best and, of course, I will support them from afar.”
Vesely averaged 19.3 points and 9.1 rebounds in EuroBasket 2015, helping his national team win seventh place and qualification to the Pre-Olympic tournament. During the previous EuroLeague season, he scored 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24 minutes per game as Fenerbahce won its first continental title in history.