Former Lakers Guard Leaves EuroLeague Game Early With Ankle Injury

Ricardo Klein | Dec 15, 2024

Feb 7, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Kent Bazemore (26) dives for the ball against Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn (25) and guard Kendrick Nunn (25) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn suffered a severe ankle injury during Sunday night's game in Round 10 of Greece’s Stoiximan GBL.

He did not return against Lavrio DHI after hurting his right ankle.

The 29-year-old former NBA guard finished with just eight points, three assists, two rebounds, and one steal. 

“The doctor told me it’s not very serious,” mentioned head coach Ergin Ataman during a postgame interview with Greek public television, ERT, “We will see tomorrow if he will be ready for this double-week.”

The injury forced him to exit the game early after only playing 17 minutes, and his status for the rest of the week is unclear. 

Nunn averages 18.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in the EuroLeague in 14 games played this season. Nunn played his first game this week after missing Efes match in the EuroLeague due to suspension.

On top of being suspended, Nunn received a fine of 8,000 euros for ‘acts that show a lack of respect toward a member of the officiating crew during the game between Partizan Mozzart Bet’, in Round 14 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. 

Nunn is a former undrafted player from the University of Oakland in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Golden State Warriors took a chance on him, signing him to a partially guaranteed contract. It guaranteed him at least a spot on their Summer League roster, an invitation to their fall camp, and some money. 

After the 2018-19 season, the Miami Heat signed him, and he spent the next two years in South Beach. Nunn was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month after averaging 16.4 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest in Dec. 2019. 

After two years in Miami, Nunn signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Lakers. It was arguably one of the worst contracts Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka signed someone to. Nunn was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee and was expected to miss multiple weeks, and those weeks turned into months as he missed the entire 2021-22 season. 

The next season, he played 39 games with two starts in L.A. before he was traded to the Washington Wizards alongside three future second-round draft picks in exchange for Rui Hachimura.

After the 2022-23 season, Nunn signed with the EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos. 

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