Joe Ingles shares a complaint about court conditions in FIBA World Cup / News - Basketnews.com

Joe Ingles said that the court in the Okinawa Arena was very slippery during the Australia-Finland game, stating that this situation must be sorted out.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Australia (1-0) comfortably beat Finland (0-1) in its FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 opener, but despite a convincing victory, Joe Ingles highlighted an important problem.

Player of the Game EFF 26 Patrick Mills Points 25 Accuracy 11-22 Rebounds 8 Assists 2

The 35-year-old emphasized that the courts in the Okinawa Arena must be in better condition so the players wouldn't slip so often.

Ingles himself became a victim of it. The Australian swingman slipped during the 2nd quarter and hurt his elbow, which was covered in blood before the medical staff took over.

"You saw Markkanen slipped three times in one possession, I slipped a couple of times," Ingles said after the game in the mixed zone. "There were also stickers on the floor that weren't cleaned well enough, but it needs [to be] sorted out for the caliber of players this tournament has. You don't want to see someone injured because of a sticker."

"For me, it is just a safety [concern]. The floor was wet, and you want to watch the best players playing and be healthy. Whoever is in charge needs to figure it out," Ingles added.

Despite an unpleasant experience, Ingles also managed to look at the whole situation with a smile on his face.

During the game, Ingles shouted at one of the FIBA officials, complaining about the slippery court. However, after the match, the Boomers legend admitted he was in the heat of the moment.

"I need to apologize to him," Ingles said with a laugh. "I saw him talking with the floor wipers, and I thought that he must be in charge."

Another Australia national team member, Josh Giddey, also shared the familiar sentiment, saying that the court conditions weren't perfect.

"It was slippery. We tried to do what we could, and hopefully, there are no injuries because of it," Giddey said

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