Lifestyle

One Of The Brussels Bombing Victims Is A Professional Basketball Player

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The heinous attacks in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday touched people of all walks of life, including a local athlete.

Sebastien Bellin, a 37-year-old basketball player who plays for the Gent Hawks, was pictured in Belgium next to a pool of what is presumably his own blood.

We wensen onze ex-speler Sebastien Bellin alvast veel sterkte en een spoedig herstel toe! #PrayForBelgium pic.twitter.com/mR19edbqlT — BC Telenet Oostende (@BCOOSTENDE) March 22, 2016

According to Daily Mail, the bomb blasts in Brussels flung Bellin more than 60 feet into the air.

The Brazilian player since underwent surgery, according to Greg Kampe, who coached Bellin at Oakland University.

My ex player Seb Bellin was injured in the Brussels bombing. Going for second surgery. Please pray for Seb. — Greg Kampe (@KampeOU) March 22, 2016

Bellin wasn't the only basketball player in the area during Tuesday's dramatic events.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutombo was also in Belgium -- in the airport where two attacks occurred -- and he described the scene for CNN.

Here's my convo w/ NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo who happened to be in the Brussels airport when the bombs went off: https://t.co/Rspx4GAMHJ — Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) March 22, 2016

Luckily for Mutombo, though, he did not suffer the same fate as Bellin.

Citations: Revealed - Bloodied Belgian airport bomb victim pictured on floor is top basketball player now undergoing surgery to save leg (Daily Mail)