Navarro Reveals Depth Crisis at Center: "He Sprained His Ankle!"

Pulse Sports Team 22:36 - 10 October 2026

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet claimed a 101-91 victory over Buducnost in Round 3 of the ABA League at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, with red-and-white head coach Ibon Navarro reflecting on the win post-game.

You could follow the live coverage of the clash between Crvena zvezda Meridianbet and Buducnost on Sportal

Navarro expressed satisfaction with the victory but voiced serious concern over the injury to Ebuka Izundu, who was forced to leave the court in the first half. Zvezda are now left without any available centers, as Johnathan Motley was already sidelined through injury.

"Congratulations to the team on the win. It wasn't easy to play right after a EuroLeague away fixture—we played just 30 hours ago. We lost Izundu, and in the second half we lacked energy and intensity. It is extremely tough to play after such a demanding week and with all the setbacks we have. That explains the 21 offensive rebounds Buducnost grabbed and their second-chance points. It shows what it took to get the win against a quality opponent. Credit to the team for their focus and effort." - Ibon Navarro

He then addressed the competitive standard of the ABA League.

"It is very simple. Cibona beat Galatasaray by 20, Bosna lost to PAOK after missing free throws, Buducnost fought hard against Napoli, and FMP took on Lokomotiv. Teams competing in European competitions are winning, and the overall quality of the league is very high. We cannot overlook that; we have to be ready at all times. We just defeated an excellent side." - Ibon Navarro

He subsequently provided an update regarding what happened to Izundu.

"There is no official update yet. As far as I know, he took a knock to the leg and twisted his ankle. We have a double EuroLeague round coming up, so many fixtures..." - Ebuka Izundu