Summer League Setback for Melbourne Big

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Injury has forced Melbourne centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr to pull out of the upcoming NBA Summer League.

Returning Melbourne centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming NBA Summer League, due to a wrist injury.

Lual-Acuil Jr was set to represent the Portland Trail Blazers alongside former New Zealand Next Star Rayan Rupert in what would have been his second appearance at the tournament.

He played for the Phoenix Suns in 2022 edition of the tournament.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. will no longer be playing in the 2023 NBA Summer League due to a wrist injury.<br>Jo will have scans next week to provide further information. <a href="https://t.co/E3m6GA5jwh">pic.twitter.com/E3m6GA5jwh</a></p>— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1675006686158000129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 29-year-old has returned to Melbourne on a one-year deal for NBL24 following one season with the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings in the Chinese CBA. He also represented Dynamo Lebanon during the NBL off-season.

Prior to his stint in China Lual-Acuil Jr won Sixth Man of the Year and championship honours with United in NBL21, and was named to the All-NBL First Team and an MVP candidate in NBL22.