NBA

No return: Pöltl’s season ends prematurely

Jakob Pöltl will not play again this season.(Bild: AP)

Jakob Pöltl's season in the North American basketball league NBA has ended prematurely. The 28-year-old Viennese from the Toronto Raptors has been out since March 4 with a finger injury and will not return for the final two games of the season against the Miami Heat at the weekend. Pöltl thus concludes his eighth NBA season with 50 appearances, the fewest of his career.

The healing of his finger is progressing well. "The healing process is positive, it's not yet at one hundred percent, but I can use the hand and finger more and more and the mobility is also getting better," explained Pöltl. He is not satisfied with the Raptors' season, which he says has been disappointing in sporting terms.

However, he is not unhappy with his personal performance: "For me personally, the season was okay in sporting terms apart from the injuries. There were ups and downs, and when things didn't go so well, I had the feeling that it was a bit out of my control."

"... then things can go up relatively quickly"
Goals for next season have already been set, with a young team the Raptors hope to achieve an upswing. "The fact that the team is being built around new young players gives us a clear perspective, which we were previously told was not so clear. Growing with young players is not easy, but we have a lot of people who have already shown that they can play winning basketball. If we get it right, we can get to the top relatively quickly," said Pöltl.

Austria's NBA pioneer will spend a few more weeks in Canada and the USA and is expected to return home in mid-May. He will then also be taking part in his third Jakob Pöltl Camp for children aged eight to 14, which is booking up fast.