Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul won’t represent Team USA basketball at the 2016 Rio Olympics in August.
The two-time gold medal winner (2008, 2012) recently told Sports Illustrated’s that he has withdrawn his name from consideration, citing the need to rest and recover this summer.
This makes sense, given Paul is now 30 years old and has played 10 seasons in the NBA, excluding all of his playoff wear and tear.
In Paul’s absence, Russell Westbrook is the projected pick for Team USA’s starting point guard (Steph Curry will certainly start as well, but it might be in more of a scoring guard role). He’s in the midst of another MVP-caliber season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The NBA is in the golden era of point guards, so there’s no shortage of options for USA management to consider.
The 2016 Summer Games begin Aug. 5 and run through Aug. 21.
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images
