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Lamar Odom Withdraws From Olympics

While the numerous injuries to the big men in the Team USA qualifying pool may have created a spot for Lamar Odom, the former Maverick has decided to pass on the opportunity:

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Odom, needless to say, did not have the finest year of his NBA career last season.

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However, he was the starting center on the 2010 World Championship team that won a gold medal in Turkey. And with Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge all injured, Team USA is thin on big men who can defend the post, which could be an issue in a possible gold-medal game with Spain and the Gasol brothers.

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Nevertheless, Odom would likely only be used in the event of foul trouble, and riding the bench for another month wouldn't have been the best way to get himself ready for a make-or-break season with the Clippers next year.

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Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.