The top team in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague this season has suffered a major blow for the second time in three years with FC Barcelona Regal’s announcement Monday that swingman Pete Mickeal’s season has ended with the recurrence of a life- and career-threatening pulmonary embolism.

Mickeal, who turned 35 last month, lost almost all of the 2010-11 season with an injury that led to another pulmonary embolism, a blood clot on the lungs. Ina media release, the club explained that tests conducted at the Hospital de Barcelona confirmed the pulmonary embolism and that Mickeal will not play again this season.

Now in his fourth season with the Spanish champs, Mickeal has been a key player on and off the floor for Barcelona. In his first Barcelona campaign, Mickeal helped the team win the 2010 Euroleague crown as the team leader in minutes played and rebounds, while ranking second in scoring.

The following season, knee surgery, which ultimately led to his first bout with a pulmonary embolism, limited him to just four games and the team missed the Final Four in Barcelona – the only Final Four it has missed during his tenure with the club.

This season he appeared in 20 Turkish Airlines Euroleague games – all in the starting lineup – led the team in minutes (25:43) and was third on the club in scoring (11.3 ppg.), performance index rating (11.7) and rebounding (3.9 rpg.), while playing a major role in Barcelona’s league leading defense.

Source: Euroleague.net