Injuries have taken their toll on Team USA’s point guard rotation for the Rio Olympics. Both Chris Paul and John Wall have pulled their names out of consideration so they can recover over the summer.
Add Stephen Curry to the list.
Days after saying he wanted to wait until after the NBA Finals to make a decision, the two-time MVP’s hand was forced when word leaked he was not going to play for USA Basketball this summer. Now he has made it official.
Stephen Curry statement regarding USA Basketball & 2016 Summer Olympics: pic.twitter.com/sBF4eVrIyH
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) June 6, 2016
Injuries are certainly part of the picture. But concerns about Zika virus and malaria outbreaks in Brazil are factoring into decisions as well — strong family men like CP3 and Curry (and now also LaMarcus Aldridge), who would bring their families down to Brazil, are more hesitant. Spain’s Pau Gasol expressed the same concerns.
This likely means the USA backcourt will be led by Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, still the two best guards in the entire Olympic tournament, with players such as Kevin Durant and Draymond Green expected to play as well. Team USA’s talent pool is so deep compared to the rest of the world that even these high-profile defections will not diminish the USA’s likelihood of another gold medal.