Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh will miss the
Olympics so he can recover from an abdominal injury that saw him sit out nine
games in the playoffs.
Bosh is the second Heat player to announce his withdrawal from the U.S. team.
He joins guard Dwyane Wade, who had surgery on his left knee and won't be able
to play in the London Olympics.
In a statement released through his agent to several media outlets, including
the Miami Herald, Bosh said the abdominal injury he suffered in the opening
game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana hasn't fully healed.
He came back during the conference finals vs. Boston and then played in all
five contests of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City, when he averaged 14.6
points and 9.4 rebounds to help the Heat to their second championship in
franchise history.
Bosh said that after meeting with his doctors, he was advised to rest and
rehab the injury to avoid the development of a chronic injury.
This would have been the second Olympics for Bosh, who won a gold medal in
Beijing four years ago.
There are now 16 players vying for 12 spots on the men's team that will go to
London, including Miami's LeBron James. The team will open training with a
camp in Las Vegas from July 6-12.
The Sports Network