Tiago Splitter, Brazil’s third-leading scorer at the 2012 Olympics, will miss the Rio Olympics due to NBA season-ending hip surgery, he said, according to Universo Online.
The Atlanta Hawks center has not played since Jan. 31. The team announced Tuesday that Splitter will have surgery, and Brazilian reports said the surgery is planned Feb. 25.
There was “no word” as of Tuesday evening how the surgery might impact Splitter’s Olympic availability, a Hawks spokesman said in an email, before Splitter’s comments were published by Universo Online.
The Hawks are in position to make the NBA playoffs, which will run into mid-June. The Olympics begin Aug. 5.
Splitter, 31, averaged 10.8 points per game at the London Olympics for Brazil, which lost in the quarterfinals.
Other Brazilian NBA players include Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa (16.2 points per game in London), Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas (11.3 points per game in London), Cavs forward-center Anderson Varejao (7.3 points per game in London) and Wizards forward-center Nenê (seven points per game in London).
