Vukona cut down by illness
Evergreen Kiwi hoops legend Mika Vukona can play through most things in the name of basketball.
But not, it turns out, debilitating case of appendicitis.
The 38-year-old long-time Tall Blacks skipper had hoped to make a belated entry to New Zealand’s postCovid NBL Showdown in west Auckland on Thursday night with his Nelson Giants team against southern rivals the Canterbury Rams.
Instead he spent the evening curled up in Auckland Hospital awaiting surgery on his appendix. He eventually had the procedure yesterday, confirmed Giants coach Mike Fitchett, who selected Vukona as fourth overall pick in the first round of the league’s historic draft.
Vukona had missed the Showdown’s opening round because he was still in quarantine after flying in from his home in Queensland and a since then had been conditioning himself with the aim of returning Thursday night against the Rams.
However, a night of acute pain led to a test for appendicitis and eventually surgery.
‘‘It’s unfortunate for Mika,’’ said Fitchett. ‘‘He is raring to go and just wants to get out there. But he’s laid up at the moment.
‘‘Mika was back on court and conditioning to play, but one night he felt some acute pain and we immediately got it checked out. He is getting it out today,’’ Fitchett told
Stuff . Vukona once played through torn knee ligaments to lead the Breakers to one of their four championships during his 13 years with the Auckland club in the Australian NBL. He was an ironman of the league, rarely missing a game, despite his rugged, physical style of play.
But Fitchett confirmed he faced at least two weeks of recovery time post-surgery and the best case scenario was that he might make it back on court for the final two weeks of the abbreviated season.
‘‘We hope he will get back out on court in the buildup to finals. He certainly wants to, but it’s too early to tell right now.
‘‘We will be led by the doctors. Right now he’s resting up and watching two games of basketball every night like the rest of the nation.’’
Vukona at least had something to smile about while awaiting his surgery on Thursday night as his Giants pipped the Rams 97-90 to improve to 2-3 for the season.