Spain's Great Osobor Suffers Severe ACL Rupture

Even Spain's big 90-61 victory over Georgia couldn't make coach Chus Mateo happy. Despite winning both games in his first international window and feeling optimistic, his joy was overshadowed by concern for player Great Osobor's injury. "I can't say anything, but it doesn't look good. It looks bad," the coach sadly told reporters.

On Monday morning, the Spanish Basketball Federation confirmed the injury was much more serious than initially thought. The medical report revealed a severe knee injury with an alarming diagnosis for the 22-year-old, 2.03m tall player. Great Osobor, who plays for Germany's Science City Jena, has a sprain of the medial collateral ligament, a radial tear of the lateral meniscus, and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. He faces a long recovery period.

The injury occurred in the first quarter, with 2 minutes and 10 seconds left and the score at 11-18. As Mate Khatiashvili drove to the basket for a layup, he collided with Osobor, whose left knee was planted. Khatiashvili's right knee hit the outside of Osobor's left knee. Osobor, who had only been on the court for less than two minutes, collapsed in obvious pain. He tried to get up and walk off but collapsed again, unable to bear weight due to the severe instability in his knee. His pained expression, the way he shook his head, and the sudden silence in the Santiago Martín arena all pointed to a serious injury.

In the moments after Osobor's injury, many people couldn't help but recall a similar incident from over eight years ago. On August 9, 2017, at the very same Santiago Martín arena, Spain played Belgium in a friendly match, losing 71-98. However, the defeat was secondary to the serious knee injury suffered by Sergio Llull. Llull had lost his footing while driving to the basket, and his heartbreaking cries of pain as he clutched his injured right knee were unforgettable.

Llull was unable to play in the Eurobasket, which began later that month. Despite his absence, that Spanish team, featuring players like the Gasol brothers, Navarro, Sergio Rodríguez, and Joan Sastre, went on to win the bronze medal. Slovenia, who defeated Spain in the semifinals, ultimately won the tournament. Llull missed the entire following season due to that severe ACL tear but eventually made a full recovery and returned to his top form.

In fact, two summers later, Llull was crucial in Spain's World Cup victory in China. In a historic and unforgettable semifinal against Australia, which went to double overtime (95-88), he scored 17 points, including 12 from three-pointers, in nearly 36 minutes on the court. His roar after sinking a three-pointer from near mid-court at the buzzer of the first quarter seemed to foreshadow the team's success in that Beijing match. Llull even held the ball as the game ended, embracing Rudy Fernández in celebration. The final against Argentina was a comfortable 95-75 win. This history offers hope for a similar comeback story for Osobor, perhaps at the Qatar 2027 World Cup.

Interestingly, for Spain, official matches played in Tenerife often result in victories. Despite the unfortunate injuries to Osobor and Llull occurring there, Spain has also celebrated wins against Ukraine in 2018 (72-68) and Turkey in 2019 (74-58). "How curious this sport is, isn't it?" Chus Mateo mused after the Georgia victory. Far from disheartening the team, Great's severe injury seemed to spark a strong reaction among the players. They significantly improved their defense, which then fueled their success in attack, including a decisive 24-4 run that sealed the win. The crowd ultimately had a great time.

For the local team, La Laguna Tenerife, this international break also brought injury concerns, though fortunately much less severe than Osobor's. Player Jaime Fernández finished the match against Denmark – where he was the top scorer with 15 points – with an injury and was unable to play at Santiago Martín. Jaime has a muscle injury in his right thigh. His recovery timeline and a more precise diagnosis are still unknown, making it unlikely he will play in Sunday's 12:00 match against Real Madrid.

Another injury, though happily much less severe than those of Llull and Osobor, was Rodrigo San Miguel's shoulder injury (not knee) during a match against Turkey in February 2019. The then-point guard for La Laguna Tenerife took a hit during the game and admitted to being "very sore" afterwards. "I was hit from behind, fighting for the ball. I didn't expect it. These things happen, though the timing is inconvenient. I hope it's nothing," the player told EL DÍA at the time. Tests later confirmed a severe "contusion," and he was sidelined for several weeks.