NBA MVP Curry to skip Rio Games to rest knee

Steph Curry has withdrawn from consideration for the US basketball team for the Olympic Games in Rio to allow a knee injury time to heal, the league MVP announced on Monday.

The Golden State Warriors guard missed four games in their postseason run after spraining his right knee, but returned to action on May 9 to help the Warriors take a 2-0 lead over Cleveland Cavaliers in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

However, Curry has decided not to risk inflaming the injury by participating in what would have been his first Olympics.

“After a great deal of internal thought and several discussions with my family, the Warriors and my representatives, I’ve elected to withdraw my name from the list of eligible players,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors.

Curry, 28, will probably still be in contention for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and the 12-man US roster – to be unveiled later this month – will convene in Las Vegas on July 17 to begin training camp for the Olympics.