Aron Baynes' neck injury, which removed him from the Tokyo Olympics, is reportedly more serious than initially diagnosed and could result in him missing the entire 2021-22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Baynes remains in hospital dealing with nerve damage to his neck, Charania reported, and was unable to join his Australian teammates as they received their bronze medals on Saturday. Australia defeated Slovenia 107-93 to win its first-ever Olympic medal in men's basketball.
The specific nature of Baynes' injury has not been publicly confirmed. Earlier reports indicated it occurred off the court during the second half of Australia's 86-83 win against Italy.
During that game, Baynes scored 14 points shooting 6-for-11 from the field and pulled in seven rebounds in 14 minutes before exiting.
The 34-year-old, who averaged 6.1 points and 5.2 rebounds last season with the Toronto Raptors, was waived by the team at the start of free agency.
