Olympic Basketball 2012: Key International Stars Missing London Games

A rash of injuries made it difficult for the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team to round out their roster. They weren't the only squad with player issues, though, as several high-profile international players won't be playing in London.

Team USA will be playing without stars such as Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Andrew Bynum, LaMarcus Aldridge and Lamar Odom.

It is highly unlikely the United States will be impacted by the loss of these players, as their talent pool is decidedly deep.

However, that is not the case for most countries, and missing one or two stars will have a major impact on their performance.

Following are four players that will not be joining their team on the court in London.

Yao Ming, China: Retired

Just how big was Yao Ming to the country of China? When Beijing started their Olympic Games, Ming led their athletes into the Opening Ceremony.

While China has had a year to plan for replacing Ming, finding a talented seven-and-a-half foot tall athlete in China isn't exactly easy.

But China does have 7'0" Wang Zhizhi starting for the team, with the 7'3" Zhang Zhaoxu coming off the bench. 

Still, without one of their two NBA players, China is in line for a very rough Olympics. Even with their soft pool play pairings, they will struggle to do any better than they did in tournaments outside of Asia.

Andrew Bogut, Australia: Injured

The Australian team could be in strong medal contention with a full team, but the loss of Andrew Bogut will definitely impact their roster.

Bogut is a talented 7'0" center that plays for the Golden State Warriors, or will once he is healthy enough to resume his NBA career. But he will spend the summer rehabilitating the latest in a rash of injuries, a broken ankle suffered last January.

Sports illustrated asked Bogut about his timetable for return, as he was initially expected back for part of last season's NBA schedule.

"

I'll be ready by October. That's a certainty. The problem right now is not rushing back, and that's why the decision was made that I'm probably not going to play this season.

The one thing after that is obviously the Olympics, but if I rush back from this injury and I'm 90 percent, 95 percent, it increases the chance of that bone fracture actually becoming a break. Then I'd have all kinds of issues that would lead to a major surgery, and there's no point trying to risk getting into that.

That's why I've been in the boot probably a little longer than I should. It's almost eight weeks and they said eight weeks in the boot, and they're probably going to actually make me go 10 because they want to make sure that it's healing.

"

The only good news for the "Boomers" is they have become accustomed to playing without Bogut, who hasn't been available for them the last two seasons. Not only are they somewhat deep with talented big men, their other options have spent time playing with the balance of the Australian team.

David Anderson will get the start at center, with Aleks Marić and Aron Baynes offering depth. Anderson spent two seasons in the NBA and has found success playing in Europe.

Australia is a favorite in their pool and could come out as the second-seed. However, that could pit them against France or Argentina in the first round of the medals bracket.

Kyrie Irving, Australian: Citizenship

While it was a long-shot, there was hope that Kyrie Irving would opt to play in the Olympics for the country where he was born. 

He holds dual-citizenship, making him eligible to play for either country according to FIBA rules.

However, Irving has chosen to not declare for Team Australia, with hope that he'll be able to represent the U.S. in 2016.

One factor that was delaying Irving's decision was who would be coaching the team in Brazil. After he heard that his former college coach, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, would again lead the team, Irving decided he would hold out for 2016.

The only problem is Jerry Colangelo and Krzyzewski both deny there have been any conversations regarding who will lead the team following the 2012 games.

Byron Mullens, Great Britain: Injured

Great Britain's men's basketball team may not have high-hopes of doing well in their Olympic Games, but they have three solid NBA players that would give them a chance in the medal round.

Make that "had," as Byron Mullens of the Charlotte Bobcats will miss the games with a persistent toe problem.

Mullens just recently received his British passport and hasn't appeared in any contests with the team that represents his mother's homeland.

The U.K. team still has Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, a forward with the Chicago Bulls on their roster. But they are playing in the tournament as the host country, as they didn't qualify for the games.

Britain may survive pool play, but a potential matchup with the U.S. team in Round One would be a disaster.

Joakim Noah, France: Injured

Perhaps the biggest blow to the tournament rosters is Joakim Noah, center for the Chicago Bulls, missing the tournament. The French team figures to be a strong contender, but missing Noah will have a sizeable impact on a roster that was already thin on depth.

He hurt his ankle during the NBA playoffs.

Noah told L'Equipe (h/t the Sporting News) that he was "absolutely not ready. Not ready to run, not ready to jump." 

France was fortunate to get Tony Parker back from an eye injury, as he could make a major impression on the tournament.

France will replace Noah with Kevin Seraphin, a 6'9" center that plays for the Washington Wizards. They also have NBA stars Nicolas Batum, currently with the Portland Trailblazers, and forward Boris Diaw from the San Antonio Spurs.