Background[]
- Pro basketball player from Brazil
Insights[]
Nene off Brazil's Olympic team[]
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Denver Nuggets forward Nene will not play for Brazil in Olympic qualifying next month.
Nuggets team doctor Steven Traina sent a letter Friday to the Brazilian Basketball Confederation explaining Nene required more time to recover after treatment for testicular cancer and other injuries.
"This has been a difficult season for me," Nene said. "Not only on the technical side, but the emotional as well."
Nene's absence is another blow to the Brazilians, already without injured Cleveland Cavalier Anderson Varejao.
Brazil had hoped to have Nene and Varejao for the Olympic qualifying tournament next month in Athens, Greece. Brazil has not qualified for the Olympics in basketball since 1996.