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Harden the latest to bail on Olympics this summer

David Ramos / Getty Images Sport / Getty

James Harden has withdrawn his name from USA Basketball's roster for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer.

"This decision was a painstaking one that I did not take lightly," Harden's statement said. "I sincerely hope I'll earn an opportunity to represent Team USA again in the future."

Harden's announcement came hours after Russell Westbrook did the same thing. With the Houston Rockets star now out of the mix, only five players who competed for the United States in the 2012 Summer Games are left on the preliminary roster for this year: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and Andre Iguodala.

While still easy favorites in the tournament, the U.S. suddenly finds itself a little thinner in the backcourt. Stephen Curry and Chris Paul previously removed their names from consideration.

Harden and Westbrook's withdrawals also came on the same day that Andrew Wiggins announced he would not compete in Olympic qualifying for his native Canada.

While rampantly speculated, it is not known how much the situation with the Zika virus in Brazil is affecting the decision making of professional athletes about Rio. Pau Gasol said last month that the disease would make him "think about" not representing Spain.

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