Blake Griffin decided not to play with Team USA in the World Cup this summer. It didn’t seem like too much of a big deal since several other players withdrew as well, but Griffin was very vague about why he would not participate. Now we have the answer.
His initial reasoning was:
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 real reason c/o of Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin withdrew from Team USA training camp for the FIBA World Cup last week because he was advised by doctors to give a small fracture in his back more time to heal before the start of the next NBA season, sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com.
Griffin is expected to make a full recovery from the injury, which sources say was suffered during the playoffs. However, doctors advised him to sit out of international competition this summer for precautionary reasons.
The good news is Shelburne’s report makes the injury sound minor and as she said he’s expected to make a full recovery. However, back injuries and big men in the league tend to not turn out well and are often a long term plague, and the secrecy makes things a little skeptical. Hopefully everything turns out fine on his end.
