Thunder's Bismack Biyombo Is ‘Fine’ After Collapsing on the Sideline During Game, Team Says
Fans grew concerned when the OKC Thunder center randomly collapsed on the sideline during Wednesday's game
OKC Thunder center Bismack Biyombo collapsed on the sidelines during the first quarter of the team's game in Portland
The NBA player needed help into the tunnel after the fall at Moda Center in Oregon
Biyombo will receive "further evaluation" on Thursday
Oklahoma City Thunder say center Bismack Biyombo is "fine" after the Congolese NBA player randomly collapsed into a teammate on the sidelines on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
The scary scene, which broadcast cameras caught in real time, unfolded during a timeout in the first quarter of the Thunder's road game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center in Oregon.
31-year-old Biyombo, dressed in a warmup sweatsuit, collapsed into a teammate just as he and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exchanged a high-five near the team's bench.
Biyombo remained on the floor, surrounded by teammates and medical staff, for a few moments before he was helped back into the locker room.
The frightening moment was captured on the game's broadcast, sparking concern from fans who witnessed the seemingly random collapse.
Shortly after the incident, Thunder beat report Nick Gallo said Biyombo was "cleared of any serious medical issues by Blazers physicians" but that the team wanted to "be conservative and hold him out" for the remainder of the game for "monitoring" and a "further evaluation" on Thursday.
Bismack Biyombo collapsed earlier tonight and went back to the locker room
Biyombo was cleared of any serious medical issues by Blazers physicians and will be further evaluated tomorrow, per @NickAGallo.
🙏
pic.twitter.com/yu2D6xvu3P— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 7, 2024
Related: Keyontae Johnson, UF Basketball Player Who Collapsed on Court, Says He's 'Blessed to Be Alive'
After the game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said Biyombo is "fine" and "was laughing and joking in the locker room" at halftime, according to The Oklahoman reporter Justin Martinez.
The results of Thursday's further evaluation have not yet been made public.
Oklahoma City defeated Portland 128-120 on Wednesday and is now tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the Western Conference.
Before his collapse on Wednesday, Biyombo was recognized by NBA fans for his foundation's community involvement work in the Congo.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from ML Basketball on Thursday celebrated Biyombo's foundation for "promoting positive change in Congo by providing support in sports, education, and healthcare."
The post highlighted Biyombo's 2022 donation of his entire NBA salary from the 2021-22 season to building a hospital in his hometown following the death of his father in August 2021.
Heartwarming: #NBA veteran Bismack Biyombo's foundation promotes positive change in Congo by providing support in sports, education, and healthcare.
In 2021-22, Bismack Biyombo donated his entire NBA salary to build a hospital in his hometown.
A hometown Hero.
🥺🥺🥺 pic.twitter.com/dB7Je6LuQS— ML Basketball (@_MLBasketball) March 6, 2024
According to Spotrac, Biyombo’s contract with the Suns was worth $1.3 million that season.
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At the time, Biyombo explained, “I think once my Dad passed, the love of the game kind of fell a little bit because he was my everything — my friend, my business partner, my mentor and everything,” in a video shared by his foundation’s YouTube channel.
“I told my agent my salary for this year would be going to the construction of a hospital back home to give hope to the hopeless at home and those individuals that cannot take their family members out,” Biyombo said in an interview with Andscape in Feb. 2022.
“I want to be able to give them better conditions so that they can somewhat have hope that their loved ones will be able to live and see another day. I wanted to give them something that would continue to service people under his name,” Biyombo added.
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