Veteran center Aron Baynes resuming career in Australia

A former NBA champion is heading to Australia in a bid to get his NBA career back on track following a freak accident.

Veteran center Aron Baynes agreed to a two-year contract with the Brisbane Bullets with the ultimate goal of playing in the NBA again, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The nine-year veteran has not played since last summer, when he suffered a spinal injury while running to the locker room during Australia’s game against Italy during the Tokyo Olympics.

Baynes initially had to relearn how to walk and spent two months in multiple hospitals. He went through a rehab process that will allow him to play again, and he was able to take part in a showcase for NBA teams earlier this month in Las Vegas.

The 35-year-old center last played in the NBA in 2020-21, when he played for the Toronto Raptors. He won an NBA title in 2014 as a backup for the San Antonio Spurs.