Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard will not be playing in the 2016 Rio Olympics due to an injured foot.
With the 2016 Rio Olympics quickly approaching, NBA players are starting to make their decisions about Team USA. Carmelo Anthony is the most notable player to have reportedly committed to the team as he looks for his third gold medal.
There has been a lot of concern about the Zika virus in Rio, and whether or not players are saying it, this will certainly be a factor in their decision making. For Damian Lillard, he will be sitting out of the Olympics because of plantar fasciitis.
Vertical Sources: Portland star Damian Lillard won't play in 2016 Olympics with Team USA as he continues to rehab plantar fasciitis injury.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2016
Lillard would have been a great asset to Team USA, but the underrated star of the Trail Blazers will be using the summer to heal his foot injury. Last season, Lillard proved to the NBA that he is one of the best point guards and players in the league, as he led what was supposed to be a lottery team to the second round of the playoffs.
After being destroyed in free agency last offseason, the Trail Blazers saw Lillard really emerge as a star. He averaged 25.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. Team USA will still be a heavy favorite to win gold in Rio without Lillard, but he would have certainly helped the team.
With the Olympics starting soon, Team USA will continue to take shape in the coming days, as the 12-man roster should be announced sometime next week.
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