This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After suffering a broken bone in his foot last season, Memphis Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol has reportedly decided to opt out of the upcoming Summer Olympics.
Gasol suffered the injury back in February and missed the remainder of the season. As of June, he wasn’t able to run or take part in widespread basketball activities.
This decision makes perfect sense for the center. There’s no reason for him to risk further injury by playing in Rio later this summer. If something were to happen, it would set back an offseason that’s been filled with progress for a Grizzlies squad that’s coming off an injury-plagued 2015-16 campaign.
With Gasol out of action in Rio, his brother, Pau, will be the face of the Spanish national team. He’ll be joined by other NBA players Nikola Mirotic, Ricky Rubio and Jose Calderon for the Spaniards.