Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has explained why he declined to suit up for Team USA in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
Curry, speaking to reporters from a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe on Thursday, said there were many factors behind what was ultimately a "hard decision" to refrain from competitive basketball this summer, hinting at the challenges presented by the pandemic, as well as the need to preserve his body.
"Coming off of this season and the condensed schedule, the protocols and obviously where I'm at in my career, I do value the offseason, and I'm working back on the court, but to try to go and play and there's just a lot that could happen," Curry said, according to ESPN.
"It just wasn't right for me," he added. "And I'm very confident in that decision. No regrets at all. Obviously being here, I'm playing golf, having fun with my family. And that's a personal thing."
Curry also conceded that the rash of injuries affecting several NBA stars during the postseason played a role in his decision.
"You take everything into account," Curry said. "I take how I'm feeling physically, mentally, what's happening around the league, all those things, it's not one specific reason or a part of it, but just knowing at the end of the day do I want to play or not? And the answer was no at the end of the day. And getting ready for next season, relatively quick turnaround is important to me, and I have a plan of how to do that and get ready for when training camp starts."
Curry, despite his overall career success, has seen relatively scarce action in international play. He was unable to compete in the Rio Olympics in 2016 while recovering from surgery, though he did win gold with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in 2010 and '14.
"There's always that itch to play and play on the biggest stage like the Olympics, but it just wasn't the right thing for me and the right time," he said. "I respect every single guy that goes and plays that's out there in Vegas, and I wish them all the success and a gold medal to show for it."
Team USA is training for the Olympics in Las Vegas, and will compete in several scrimmages there before departing for Japan later this month.
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