Advertisement

Nets forward Mirza Teletovic will miss the season due to blood clots in his lungs

Kelly Dwyer
Nets forward Mirza Teletovic will miss the season due to blood clots in his lungs

Nearly midway through Brooklyn’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, after missing all three of his shots from the field and turning the ball over once, Nets forward Mirza Teletovic left the game and Staples Center on his own two feet to venture off to a local hospital. The Bosnian forward was complaining of shortness of breath, but following a battery of tests he assured media …

… and his Twitter followers alike …

… that he was just fine.

Sadly, on Friday, we’ve found out that this is far from the case. Teletovic will miss the rest of Brooklyn’s season as he recovers from blood clots in his lung. The Nets released a statement announcing as much:

Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletovic was taken to a local Los Angeles hospital after experiencing shortness of breath during last night's game versus the Clippers. Following a series of tests including a CT scan, Teletovic was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary embolus (multiple blood clots in the lungs). He will remain hospitalized in Los Angeles to undergo further diagnostic testing and to begin treatment, which includes blood thinners being administered. Due to the nature of blood thinners, Teletovic will be unable to play for the remainder of the season. Once he is cleared for travel, he will return to Brooklyn. Further updates on his condition will be provided as necessary.

Teletovic is in his third year with the Nets, one of the few that have played for the entirety of the team’s stay in Brooklyn, acting as one of the most beloved players on a franchise routinely marked with storm and stress:

And from the Bergen Record’s Andy Vasquez:

Having covered Teletovic for all three of his seasons in Brooklyn, I can telluou that he’s one of the most accessible, thoughtful and best guys to deal with in the locker room. Thoughts are with him as he recovers from this.

Teletovic is averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22 minutes a game for the struggling Nets, who are seven games under .500 after Thursday’s loss and tied with Charlotte for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. What this diagnosis means for Mirza’s NBA career moving forward remains to be seen, but we certainly hope he can recover in time to become a coveted restricted free agent this summer.

- - - - - - -

Kelly Dwyer

is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!