Bruno Caboclo’s 2025-26 campaign is on hold, as the Brazilian forward/center has undergone back surgery that will keep him sidelined for several more months, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.
He had already missed the start of the new EuroLeague season with Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv and, according to the team’s injury list, remains out alongside guard Yam Madar. The procedure was considered necessary, further delaying his long-awaited return to action.
Caboclo joined Hapoel ahead of the 2024-25 season, and his first year with the club turned out to be a memorable one.
Under head coach Dimitris Itoudis, the Reds captured the BKT EuroCup championship, which secured their place in this year’s EuroLeague, Europe’s top-level club competition.
Caboclo played in 23 games, starting three, and contributed across the board with averages of 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and just under one in every other major statistical category: 0.7 blocks, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 assists per contest.
Beyond club basketball, the 30-year-old made a strong impression with Brazil’s senior national team during the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
He helped lead the squad to the gold medal while earning a spot on the All-Star Five, thanks to his production of 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game across six appearances.
That success was quickly overshadowed, however, by the injury that struck after his return to Israel, forcing him onto the sidelines and now eventually requiring surgery.
Caboclo has taken a winding road through his professional career. He first entered the EuroLeague in 2023-24 with Partizan Mozzart Bet, where he got his initial taste of the competition.
Prior to that, he had spent several years in the NBA after being selected 20th overall in the 2014 draft by the Toronto Raptors.
Between 2014 and 2021, he appeared in 107 games for the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets.
