Report: Rajon Rondo Doesn’t Ever Want To Play For Team USA

Last night in a huge win over Miami, Rajon Rondo recorded his 18th consecutive game with double digit assists. If you needed any reminder, he’s one of the best point guards in the world and one of the best players in the NBA. You’d think he’d love to represent on Team USA in this summer’s Olympics or even perhaps down the road in 2016. Apparently not. During the trip to play in South Beach, Rondo said he enjoyed his summers too much to ever (and I mean ever) be interested in playing in the Olympics.

Fox Sports Florida writes:

Rondo, who is one of the NBA’s top point guards and is averaging a league-best 11.3 assists, wasn’t one of the 20 players selected in January as finalists for Team USA’s 2012 roster in London. And even if another player were to possibly be added, Rondo, 26, said there would be no need to call him.

“I’m not focusing at all on the Olympics. At all. At all,” Rondo said before handing out 15 assists in Boston’s 115-107 win over Miami, his 18th straight game with 10 or more, the NBA’s longest streak in 20 years.

Rondo, who still would be young enough to play in the Games in 2016 or 2020, then was asked if he ever would have an interest in playing in the Olympics.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “I just don’t… Wondering why? I love my summers. I’ll leave it at that.”

While you can argue he doesn’t even deserve a spot – Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Deron Williams make up a pretty strong point guard foundation – Rondo does lead the NBA in assists and is widely considered the best, or at least the second-best passer in the game. On a team full of All-Stars, shouldn’t that matter?

Rondo’s dismissive interest in playing for Team USA isn’t exactly new. In 2010 as a finalist for the World Championship team, he left because he says he was homesick. Other reports indicated he was simply cut. He began the exhibition phase that summer as a starter, but couldn’t make a shot, and Team USA struggled. Eventually, he was replaced by Derrick Rose and also fell behind Russell Westbrook on the depth chart. The real story probably lands somewhere between being homesick and getting cut.

While I’ve always loved Rondo’s game, his position is so loaded that I can’t sit here and claim it’s a travesty if he never plays for Team USA again. But even more importantly, I can’t be mad at a dude if he simply wants his vacation time.

Should Rondo be on the Olympic team?

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