Laurent Foirest, the veteran ASVEL Villeurbane forward, has rejected the invention to join his National Team for the EuroBasket 2009 qualifiers.
Foirest who was a member of Les Bleus' silver-medal winning side at the Sydney Olympics has 150 internaitonal caps, but has not played for his country since the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan when he retired from the National Team.
Despite his international retirement he was invited again but as a statement by the French Basketball Federation said, the player did not want to go on National Team duty because of a tough club season at ASVEL Villeurbanne in the Pro A and the Euroleague ahead.
The 35-year-old thanked France coach Vincent Collet, who is also his boss at ASVEL, for naming him in the preliminary squad.
