Juancho Hernangomez Reportedly Upset with T-Wolves After Being Blocked from Olympics
July 24, 2021
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez is reportedly upset with the organization.
Per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Hernangomez's frustration stems from the T-Wolves' decision to block him from playing for Spain in the Olympics.
Krawczynski added Spanish Basketball Federation officials believe Minnesota president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas made a "last-minute decision" to prevent the 25-year-old from playing with his home country.
In a statement released Saturday, Rosas said the Timberwolves team physician recommended Hernangomez not play for the Spanish national team.
Hernangomez suffered a dislocated shoulder during one of Spain's scrimmages leading up to the Tokyo Games. The national team didn't appear to have any concerns about his ability to be ready for the Olympics, as he was included on the final roster released Monday.
Jorge Garbajosa, president of the Spanish Basketball Federation, told reporters Friday they "had countless medical meetings and we’ve never received a ‘no.’ We have a received a ‘yes.'"
According to Krawczynski, the situation with the Timberwolves left Hernangomez "deeply disappointed and hurt" and it "will leave some damage repair to be done before training camp opens in September."
Hernangomez just completed his first full season with the T-Wolves. He has been a member of Spain's national basketball team since the 2017 EuroBasket event. He won a gold medal as part of the team at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Spain will begin play at the 2020 Olympics on Monday against Japan. The country has medaled in each of the previous three Games, including a bronze at Rio de Janeiro five years ago.