Joe Ingles Considering Finger Surgery, Could Miss World Cup
Jun 27, 2019, 12:00 PM
Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz gestures toward his bench during their game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 25, 2018 in Salt Lake City , Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An Australian news outlet is reporting that Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles is considering sitting out the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
According to the report by SEN 1116’s Sportsday, Ingles is mulling whether or not to have finger surgery in the offseason after playing nearly the entire 2018-19 season with a dislocated finger.
Despite the injury, which is believed to have occurred during the Jazz’s game with the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors on Nov. 5, Ingles played in every single game for Utah last season, often with his finger wrapped in athletic tape.
Ingles is the NBA’s current active leader in consecutive games played with 304 straight appearances, most of them being starts.
Joe Ingles blows a kiss to Pistons fans after sealing the win 😂 pic.twitter.com/d3S1aF4ylk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 15, 2019
The Jazz fan favorite is also a devoted member of his native Australia’s national team. The 31-year-old Ingles has played with the Boomers in three Olympics and two World Cups.
When Ingles became the game’s leading iron man during this last season, his coach Quin Snyder was asked how he was able to maintain such a long streak of playing, even when a bit banged up.
“He wants to play,” said Snyder of Ingles on Feb. 23. “There’s probably been games where he could have not played, for good reason. Not that he’s in any danger, he’s just uncomfortable, he wants to be out there. He doesn’t want to be out there to break a record or have a streak, he’s out there because he likes to play.”
The Joe Ingles mixtape!
(Via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/1rD14zRVj6
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 5, 2018
When asked about the streak himself, Ingles hesitated to respond but after some prodding gave his explanation about his desire to play night in and night out.
“If it gets us get a win, help us get to the Finals, get to the playoffs, whatever it is” said Ingles. “I do like to play basketball that’s why I’ve played for however long but it’s not like I’m preparing each week to keep (the streak intact), I don’t even know what it is to be really honest with you.”
The 2019 FIBA World Cup is set to begin in China in September.
