Kawhi Leonard Declines Invite to Play in Rio 2016 Olympics

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard joined a growing number of NBA stars in declining an invite to represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

"This was a very difficult decision," Leonard said Thursday, per The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "It's an honor to have been considered for the team, and I hope that in the future I will have the chance to represent my country by playing for USA Basketball."

According to the San Antonio Express-News' Jabari Young, the 24-year-old wants to have his schedule free for the summer in order to be there for the birth of his first child, who is expected in July.

Leonard is coming off the best individual season of his career. He repeated as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he averaged 21.2 points a game on 50.6 percent shooting. He also ranked fourth in the league in three-point percentage (44.3).

The United States could field a gold-medal contender comprised solely of players who are choosing not to compete in the Olympics. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Thursday that Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond will also skip the event. Below is a list of the more notable absentees on the national team roster:

Player	Team
Stephen Curry, PG	Golden State Warriors
Kawhi Leonard, SF	San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Davis, PF	New Orleans Pelicans
James Harden, SG	Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook, PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF	San Antonio Spurs
Blake Griffin, PF	Los Angeles Clippers
Andre Drummond, C	Detroit Pistons
Damian Lillard, PG	Portland Trail Blazers
Chris Paul, PG	Los Angeles Clippers

It's not a surprise to see so many marquee names turn down the opportunity to play in Rio. The NBA regular season is a grind. Participating in the Olympics leaves players with little to no offseason.

The 2016 Olympics are also looking like a logistical nightmare. The Telegraph's Donna Bowater reported on June 4 the World Health Organization was going to re-examine the potential health risks the event poses, especially with regard to the Zika virus.

On June 17, the Rio de Janeiro government warned it needed to take drastic steps to avoid a "total collapse in public safety, health, education, transport and environmental management," per USA Today's Alan Gomez.

Those problems haven't dissuaded a handful of players from joining the Olympic team. Kevin Durant confirmed this week he'll be on Team USA, and Spears reported Thursday that Paul George also accepted an invite. Joining them will be Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Lowry, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The United States has the deepest pool of basketball talent in the world. Even with so many players declining invitations, the Americans will remain the gold-medal favorites once the Olympics begin in August.