Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard will not be joining the list of NBA stars who will attend USA Basketball's (USAB) Las Vegas minicamp next month.
Lillard attended USAB summer camp a number of times before and last summer he was one of the final players omitted from the U.S. squad that won the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
In an interview on the "The Jody Mac Show," Lillard was asked if he plans to attend this year's minicamp and he answered, "I did it the last few summers. Last summer I didn't make it, so I don't know why I would go. If I got cut last summer, I don't think I'm a part of it."
After not making the cut last summer, the 25-year-old point guard told The Oregonian, "More wood on the fire. Not my first time being put off and probably not the last."
An attendance in the upcoming minicamp will assure a player a chance to be a part of the 12-man roster that will represent the nation in the 2016 Rio Olympics, USAB managing director Jerry Colangelo stated.
The U.S. is looking for its third consecutive gold medal finish after winning the event in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, another Blazer will be attending the minicamp in center Mason Plumlee who also went to last summer's camp and made the cut being part of the 2014 U.S. national team who went to Spain.
Portland acquired Plumlee via a trade deal from the Brooklyn Nets and he is expected to get significant playing time with the Blazers following the departure of All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge who joined the San Antonio Spurs.
Along with Plumlee, New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin, 2015 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard are among the NBA players who announced their attendance in the camp.
