On the eve of the 7DAYS EuroCup's first elimination round, Joventut Badalona has lost one of its veteran leaders, point guard Pau Ribas, to an injury that will likely keep him out the rest of the season, the club announced on Sunday. According to the club, Ribas had suffered a third-degree left ankle sprain. Ribas, who turned 36 last month, had been averaging 9.4 points and 3.5 assists this season for Joventut, which opens the playoffs with a do-or-die eighthfinals game against visiting London Lions on Wednesday. Ribas ranks fourth on Joventut in scoring and seocnd in assists despite playing just 18 minutes per game.
Ribas, a two-time EuroCup champion, is one of Joventut's emblematic home-grown players. He won the EuroCup with the club in 2008 and made his EuroLeague debut with the team the next season before spending 11 years until 2020 as a key contributor for Baskonia, Valencia Basket and FC Barcelona. He won another EuroCup title in 2014 with Valencia. He returned to Joventut in 2020.