Chris Paul To Sit Out 2016 Olympics

By Connor Aylward
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Updated: March 30, 2016

Los Angeles Clippers star point guard Chris Paul has decided not to pursue a gold medal at the Olympics in Rio this summer with the United States Mens Basketball squad.

The two-time olympic gold medalist (08, 12) decided he finally needed some time off after this season. A season that will see the point guard reaching the postseason yet again with his Clippers, a season in which he has had to do more than normal due to the injury of Blake Griffin earlier in the year.

Paul has played 33.1 minutes per game for his club this year. This is not an insanely high number for the game-changing guard that has averaged 35.9 minutes per game in his career. However as previously mentioned, those 33.1 minutes have been more grueling as he has had to carry a very heavy burden for a Clippers team that is expected to compete for an NBA championship come playoff time.

When asked about the Olympics in Rio, Paul had this to say,

According to reports Chris Paul has withdrawn himself for consideration in the 2016 Olympics : “Body tells me I could use time” #Clippers

— CaliSports News (@CaliSportsnews) March 29, 2016

Paul didn’t take this decision lightly though as he clearly had strong emotions invoked when the thought of playing for his country sneaks into his mind,

“But when I put on that USA jersey it always gave me goose bumps because you realized you were part of something so much bigger than yourself.”

Paul said even his son little Chris asked his dad whether he was ever going to play in the Olympics again. Chris Jr. born after the 08 Olympic games wants the chance to see his dad play in the Olympic games, sadly it won’t be this season.

Team USA will not be short on point guards willing to take Paul’s place however as Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry or Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook seem as though they’ll plug right into the spot.

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