Chapu Nocioni recalled the day he was almost barred from the NBA after suffering an unusual accident

Chapu Andrés Nocioni was one of the historical protagonists of the Golden Generation, that team directed by Rubén Magnano and which was consecrated second place in the world at Indianapolis 2002 and Olympic champion in Athens 2004, beating the ever-powerful US team in both competitions.

Those important milestones, which marked his career in flames, led him to the NBA. After a previous successful stint in the ACB League, he reached the Chicago Bullsa team that a few years ago had been three times champion and experienced something unique, the “Michael Jordan phenomenon”.

In those early years in the elite with the Bulls (2004 and 2009), “Chapu” told an incredible story on his Instagram account. He suffered an unusual accident that could have cost him dearly.

“It was my last year of contract with Chicago and everything made me think that the renewal would come, because I was playing at a good level”, he began by telling.

“It was the break for the All Star Game and my agent, @ mcound1, invited me to spend a few days in Arkansas, the city he lived in. I went. He showed me an old house, which he was renovating, and we turned the earth a little. I was looking up and suddenly I fell into a well two meters deep. I did shit. Wrong”, continuous.

“In this photo you can see the wound. I ended up playing with that injury for the entire last stretch of the regular season. Today I remembered this story and I still can’t believe how cheap I got it, “he concluded, accompanied by a smiling emoji.

microphonehis agent at the time and of whom Nocioni mentioned in the post, was one of many who joined the comments, in a message that mixed his poor command of Spanish with a few sentences in English. “Life flashed before my eyes”Cound wrote, with a certain sense of guilt for that situation. And he added, relieved: “A little emergency room and it’s like new.”

“And as I have said many times since this historic moment … ‘my life has passed before my eyes !!!’ How is it possible that showing Chapu my house being remodeled almost ruined his year with that? A little emergency room at home and it was as good as new. He just said “let it go fishing!” Typical of Chapu. Thanks for not killing me man! “, He detailed.

Fortunately, as they both coincided, he didn’t go to great lengths and managed to play the regular season without major problems. And he did it well, as the Bulls renewed his contract. Then I would go to the Sacramento Re and then to Philadelphia 76ers, still in the NBA.

After ten years abroad, Chapu went on loan to Penarol of Mar del Plata to play Super 8 2011, which he would eventually win, and ended his career in Europe on a high note. He has won eight titles in three years with the real Madridamong which the Euroleague 2015, in which he was named MVP of the final.