As some players are added to the group that will compete for a spot on the USA Basketball roster that will play in the FIBA World Cup this summer, others are content with bowing out.
There were 19 players initially tabbed to participate in the Team USA mini-camp in Las Vegas next week, a pool from which the final roster for this summer’s team would be chosen. Blake Griffin was a part of that initial group, but after further consideration, he’s decided to forego the opportunity in order to prepare for the upcoming grind of the NBA season instead.
The official release:Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward Blake Griffin on Thursday announced that he will not participate on the USA Basketball Men’s National Team this summer. Griffin was one of 19 players selected to the USA roster from which the 2014 USA World Cup Team will be selected.
“I appreciate the invitation to play for Team USA this summer,” Griffin said. “It is a special opportunity anytime you have a chance to represent your country, and I was honored to be included. However, right now I want to focus and dedicate 100 percent of my energy on improving and preparing for the upcoming season with the Clippers.”
The people that are likely to care the most about this are Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski; most casual basketball fans know that the USA roster is star-studded and deep, so the impact of losing a player like Griffin -- especially in a non-Olympic year -- won’t ultimately mean that much.
Representing your country is certainly an honor, but given the rigors of the NBA season, it’s understandable that players would choose to pass. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t even get this far, remember, and while the wavering commitment will hurt the chances of these players participating in future Team USA activities in Colangelo’s eyes, the reality is that Griffin plays a very physical game that requires as much offseason rest as possible, and there is more than enough talent in place on Team USA without him to complete the task at hand.