Alex Len and Baskonia Part Ways After Single Training Session Due to Foot Soreness

Kosner Baskonia loses another interior reinforcement. The club and Alex Len have mutually agreed to terminate their contract after the Ukrainian center experienced foot soreness following his first training session with the team.

What happened in ten days

The player passed medical examinations without issue upon his arrival in Vitoria and completed his first training session. It was immediately after when the soreness appeared, located in an area that had already been treated during the previous season.

Given the nature of the issue and the timing in the season, the club and player decided to consult with other specialists before making a decision. Those consultations took place over the last few days and resulted in the termination.

The statement clarifies that there are no signs of any new injury, but both parties believe it is best to part ways so Len can have the necessary time to address the soreness.

The player thanked the club, the roster, and the fans for their professionalism and support during the brief time he spent with the organization.

The precedent that explains the outcome

There was already a warning sign. Len missed the final stretch of last season at Real Madrid due to a plantar fascia injury in his left foot, which prevented him from playing in the Final Four in Athens just when Edy Tavares' absence was opening the door to more playing time.

He terminated with the Madrid club in July, one year before his contract expired, and Baskonia brought him in last week as a solution to their frontcourt problems. He didn't even play in the Supercopa: he traveled to Badalona without him due to those same soreness issues.

A problem that lasts the entire month

Vitoria's frontcourt remains unresolved and the schedule is tight. The club lost Khalifa Diop in early September when the Cleveland Cavaliers exercised their draft rights four years after selecting him, and since then has not found a stable replacement.

The consequences were evident in the preseason. In the EncestaRías semifinal, the team finished the game without a single center due to the eliminations of Thierry Henry and Kenneth Faried. In the Euskal Kopa they fell short again against Bilbao. And in the Supercopa they lost to Joventut.