Clippers’ Blake Griffin a possible candidate for Olympic tryouts
Blake Griffin has been mentioned as a candidate to be invited to try out for the U.S. basketball team that will play in the London Olympics this summer.
The Clippers star said after practice Saturday that if he gets the call he gladly would participate in tryouts.
Jerry Colangelo, director of USA Basketball, has been talking to several NBA players about playing in the Olympics. He has to announce the 18 candidates for the team by Jan. 18.
Griffin, 22, wasn’t on the 2008 Olympic team or the 2010 world championship team, but the 6-foot-10 power forward has become one of the NBA’s top players in a short time.
“It’s humbling to be able to try out for that team,” said Griffin, last season’s NBA rookie of the year. “But like I’ve said, I’ve got a lot of work to do [to] become the player I want to be before all that happens.”
Griffin was averaging 25.2 points and 9.6 rebounds through Clippers’ first five games this season.
Evans suits up for Clippers
Reggie Evans, who missed the first five games because of a sprained right foot, said he wasn’t feeling any more pain so he decided it was time for him to play against Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Evans, a 6-foot-8 forward-center whose specialties are rebounding and defense, is expected to provide the Clippers with intensity.
“I was just feeling good and I got a chance to practice with the players,” Evans said. “I wasn’t really feeling [anything bad] afterward.”
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