Pistons G Billups pulls out of Olympics

Jun 19, 2008 - 7:26 AM BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -- Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups will not play for Team USA in the Beijing Olympics due to family reasons, according to a report by ESPN on Wednesday.

According to the report, Billups contacted Team USA director Jerry Colangelo on Tuesday to inform him of his decision.

"It's a matter of what you want to do and what you need to do," Billups told ESPN. "Winning a gold medal is the one thing that I haven't accomplished, and I was looking forward to standing up on that big stage. That's what I really wanted. But I was taught family comes first, above anything else."

According to ESPN, Billups has declined to make the trip to Beijing for fear that family issues will force him to return to the United States before or during the Summer Games.

The 12-man Olympic team will be announced Monday by coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Billups was added to the team last summer, along with Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, and the squad went undefeated at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Las Vegas. The trio helped restore some pride to a national team disgraced after being upset repeatedly by less-talented teams such as Argentina and Italy the past few years.

ESPN reported that Billups decided to inform team officials of his decision now because he knows competition for roster spots will be fierce.

"(The team is) in the right hands," Billups said. "They'll be fine. And when they win the gold, I'll feel like I had a big hand in regaining our dominance because of what we did last summer."

Billups and the Pistons were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals in six games this postseason by the world champion Boston Celtics. The 11-year veteran was slowed in that series by a hamstring injury, which he suffered in Game Two.