Chapter 9 Group of 3

Sabonis and Petrović both had health issues, and serious ones at that.

In 1986, while preparing for the World Championships in Spain, Sabonis suffered a severe ankle injury. After some rest, he tore his right Achilles tendon during a club match.

Then, in the domestic league finals, he forced himself to return before fully recovering, helping his team win the championship. This exacerbated his Achilles tendon injury.

Often injuries are a result of accumulated fatigue. In 1987, while the Soviet Team was preparing for the European Championships, Sabonis's Achilles tendon completely ruptured, which was a serious injury.

During his recovery, he fell down the stairs, resulting in a re-tear of his Achilles tendon, which aggravated his injuries further.

After that, he entered a lengthy recovery period, during which he traveled to Portland for surgery and received America's most advanced medical treatments.