Paul Zipser opens up about the life-threatening condition he suffered / News - Basketnews.com

Zipser told his life was on the line but didn't have much time to overthink performing the surgery. Head coach Andrea Trinchieri admitted that he still sometimes remembers the day everything happened.

Credit: imago images/kolbert-press-SCANPIX Credit imago images/kolbert-press-SCANPIX

Paul Zipser suffered a brain hemorrhage during the 2020-21 season that kept the player out of the basketball court for the vast majority of the 2021-22 season.

Paul Zipser

MIN:10.23PTS:4 (62.5%)REB:1.17As:0.17ST:0.67BL:0TO:0.67GM:6ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

This season, the German forward has fully healed and has already played in 6 EuroLeague games for FC Bayern Munich so far. Talking with the EuroLeague, Zipser remembered how it all happened.

"[On] the gameday of the semifinal game of the German league here, I felt a little odd. The next morning, so many more things happened," Zipser told. "The doctor said about the red flags that we have to check to the hospital immediately, that's what we did."

"You hear certain things for the first time in your life that there's a real danger of [losing] your life. It's not a thing that you have ever thought about before," the player admitted. "I didn't feel great at the time, of course, I didn't have the time to overthink it."

The internal bleeding caused by the condition kills brain cells over time, causing serious effects on the person's health. Zipser had to undergo surgery, which was successfully carried out, in order to remove the specific angioma that caused the cerebral hemorrhage.

"Right now, I really want to just test out how much of a player I am I used to be before. I think I'm in very good shape right now, I'm very satisfied," the forward said. "Last year, I wasn't thinking about the team, I'm looking forward to pretty much everybody this season. I just want to be on the court."

Even though Zipser's future at the club was unknown at the time, the team extended the player's contract until 2024 during the summer of 2021. The forward still feels immense gratitude for it.

"I couldn't play last year but they extended [the contract with] me just for an example. It really shows that if somebody has a struggle, the club's going to be there. It's something very special, especially in the modern day of sports," he told.

Head coach Andrea Trinchieri was emotionally affected by the incident as well.

"Sometimes I go back in my thoughts to the day when everything happened. Still, after more than a year, I'm not able to manage and handle my emotions," the Italian specialist told.

"Last year, we were happy to have him around, it was inspiring. Last year was the recovery year. Now I believe Pauli can go back to being Pauli. This is the biggest win we can have," the coach admitted.

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