Chris Bosh Withdraws from Olympic Consideration with Abdominal Injury

Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh has withdrawn himself from consideration for the 2012 USA Olympic basketball team.

Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com reported the news via Twitter.

"

Chris Bosh has will miss Olympics, has pulled his name from consideration for team to rest/rehab abdominal injury.

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 29, 2012"

Bosh was a member of the gold-medal-winning team at the Beijing games in 2008. He averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.

The All-Star injured his abdominal muscle in the first game of the Heat’s second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

He missed the rest of that series and did not return until Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.

Once Bosh returned, Miami went 6-2 in its remaining playoff games and won the NBA championship.

Bosh is the second member of the Heat and the 2008 Olympic team to pull out of the London 2012 games due to injury. Dwyane Wade has already declined to participate due to upcoming knee surgery, as reported by ESPN.

Dwight Howard, who started for Team USA in 2008, will also miss the tournament due to injury, again noted by ESPN.

This leaves 16 participants vying for 12 spots on the final roster. The team is getting thin on the front line, as Tyson Chandler is the only center among the finalists, and Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and Lamar Odom are now the only true power forwards left.

The players who are still in contention for a spot on the plane to London are as follows:

Guards: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Eric Gordon.

Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, Lamar Odom, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gay, Kevin Love.

Center: Tyson Chandler.

Roster courtesy of USABasketball.com