The Philadelphia 76ers D-League affiliate in Delaware got some upsetting news on Tuesday, learning that Dionte Christmas would miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured Achilles. Here's the official statement from Sevens' general manager Brandon Williams:
“After consultation with our team physician, Dr. Joseph Mesa, it was determined that Dionte Christmas suffered a right Achilles tendon rupture during today’s game against the Northern Arizona Suns and will miss the remainder of the season. He will be scheduled for surgery at Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists in the coming days.
“On behalf of the Sevens organization, I sincerely thank Dionte for his tremendous contributions to our team this season. He has been a consummate professional, positive influence on the development of our young roster, and vital to our energy and drive. We will certainly miss his leadership on the court, but are inspired by his confidence as he attacks the next steps on the road to recovery.”
He was averaging 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season with the 87ers.
Meanwhile, with Christmas out for the rest of the year, the Sevens added an NBA veteran to their roster, claiming Nate Robinson from the player pool on Wednesday.
The Delaware 87ers have claimed NBA veteran Nate Robinson off waivers, league source tells @DLeagueDigest.
— Adam Johnson (@AdamJNBA) February 8, 2017
Robinson, 32, has been trying to get back into the NBA after playing just two games for the Pelicans last season and 42 games with the Clippers and Nuggets during the 2014-15 season. Robinson worked out for the Sixers in January, but Philadelphia instead signed Chasson Randle to a pair of 10-day deals that led to a three-year deal with non-guaranteed money. Last season, Robinson played with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel, averaging over 16 points per game.
In 618 career NBA games, Robinson has averages of 11 points, three assists and 2.3 rebounds per game, shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc. This isn't the first time the 87ers have signed a former NBA guard. Last season Baron Davis was on their team for part of the season.
