Kyrie Irving Not Playing for Australia at the 2012 Olympics

There was talk earlier this season that Kyrie Irving might suit up for Australia — the country he was born in — at the upcoming Summer Games in London, but the Cavs’ rookie sensation has elected to hold out for a Team USA spot at the 2016 Games instead. From the Akron Beacon Journal: “Kyrie Irving said Monday night he will not play for Australia in the Olympics this summer, but will stay with Team USA in hopes of making the Americans’ Olympic team in 2016. Irving received confirmation that his college coach, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, would be back to coach the Americans in four more years. That was enough to convince him to stay. ‘It was the right decision,’ Irving said. ‘I found out Coach K would be coaching in 2016. It made my decision so much easier to play for my coach again. That was the deciding factor.’ Irving could have faced battle just to get cleared by FIBA if he wanted to play for Australia, since he already represented the Americans in junior competition. Now he’ll stay on with the U.S. Select Team and would appear to be a strong candidate to make the Olympic team in four years.”