Jazz's Exum passes on Aussie Olympic squad spot
Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum will not play for his native Australia in this summer's Olympics, the Utah organization announced Saturday.
The decision is hardly surprising given the fact that Exum missed the entire NBA season due to a torn left ACL suffered while playing for Australia last September. Exum, who turns 21 next month, will instead continue rehab and preparation for next season.
"The most important thing for me right now is to continue training," Exum said in a statement.
Severe injuries like Exum's and Paul George's in 2014 remain a cautionary tale of sorts for young players enthusiastic about duty with their respective national teams. Canada's Andrew Wiggins took a pass on Olympic qualifying this summer in order to focus on the Minnesota Timberwolves' upcoming campaign under Tom Thibodeau.
Exum played all 82 games of his rookie season in 2014-15, averaging just under five points per contest. Not unlike Canada, Australia has recently produced highly touted young basketball talent such as Exum and Ben Simmons.