Kobe: A Member of Team USA

[Colin]

//Article

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant plans to play for the U.S. team at this year's world basketball championships and the 2008 Olympics.

Bryant gave an emphatic nod to joining the U.S. team in a meeting Friday with the head of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo.

"I'm very excited, man, very excited," Bryant said Friday night before his Los Angeles Lakers met the Phoenix Suns. "I'm excited to be an Olympian, to represent our country. I've been looking forward to this."

Colangelo said Bryant had told him earlier that he was extremely interested.

"I had a previous conversation with him and we said we would meet again when he came to Phoenix," Colangelo said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "He's really excited about it. He's really kind of juiced about representing the United States. He had some great things to say about the opportunity."

Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer at 34.7 points per game, joins LeBron James as the two players who have been publicly named to the 20-man U.S. roster that will report to a training camp in Las Vegas this summer, then travel to a series of exhibition games in China and South Korea before taking part in the world championships in Japan.

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I'm definitely surprised he's agreeing. Since when do top-tier players do that anymore? He's a great talent, but he shouldn't be on the team. They don't need a shot-jacker on their team to piss everyone off. He may win all the games they play by himself, but if he has an off night they might be done for. This could work out very well, and it could turn out to be a bad decision.

[J@3]

This has been discussed in a few other threads... I think Kobe's proven that he doesn't have to be "the man". I mean he won 3 championships with the most dominant player in the league, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be off to the Olympics to ball hog and take 30+ shots pre game.

While Bryant is a scoring machine with the Lakers, he will have no qualms about reducing his role on the U.S. team, Colangelo said.

"I think Kobe Bryant is a player with enough moxie to go along with his talent that he'll adjust to whatever his role is," Colangelo said. "In fact, that's exactly what he said today."

[Colin]

This has been discussed in a few other threads

I just went and checked, so it was in the Lakers thread...oh well.

I know I don't check the Lakers/Knicks threads, so maybe there's others.

[dada]

I heard they were gonna talk to Lamar also, I wonder if he will make it?

[Blasphemy]

I heard they were gonna talk to Lamar also, I wonder if he will make it?

No

[Matt]

I wonder if he'll actually play defense

[j.23]

personally i thought lamar was one of the few bright spots in athens. his interior defense was pretty good, and he was actually a decent complement to tim duncan. he was kind of like what udonis haslem is to shaq. the interior defense focuses on TD, and LO got a lot of garbage buckets, rebounds, etc.

[Axel]

It's not all about having all-star players. Obviously that's why the Pistons beat the Lakers in the finals a few years back. I think the olympic team could use some complementary players who are used to filling that type of role in the NBA.

[bludgeon]

I think he wont be that much of a ballhog in the USA team since there will be other stars who can also take the helm. And he had always passed well in the All-star games.

[kinokong]

I think he wont be that much of a ballhog in the USA team since there will be other stars who can also take the helm. And he had always passed well in the All-star games.

(sigh).... he could have done that with shaq on the team.... (sigh)

[bludgeon]

I think he wont be that much of a ballhog in the USA team since there will be other stars who can also take the helm. And he had always passed well in the All-star games.

(sigh).... he could have done that with shaq on the team.... (sigh)

Right, if they have never feuded with each other.

[J@3]

He did do that with Shaq on the team...

[Null17]

That's quite a surprise. Maybe a lot of the superstar-calibre players will actually play in the next Olympics.

[iG®]

I know TD cancell it, but who else won't play for sure?

[-BHZMAFIA-]

With there being talk that Iverson wants to play again, then that means its 3 superstars on the team. I hope Colangelo doesn't turn this into an all-star team, but more of an all-around team. I'm still waiting on him to pick up solid role players, shooters and bruisers.

[fgrep15]

Kobe's not going to hog on the team. If they have good backups, it's not like it will be the Lakers where they need him to win, he can easily be benched if he has someone like Wade or Redd behind him on the depth chart.

[J@3]

With there being talk that Iverson wants to play again, then that means its 3 superstars on the team. I hope Colangelo doesn't turn this into an all-star team, but more of an all-around team. I'm still waiting on him to pick up solid role players, shooters and bruisers.

I'm starting to think that they just can't help it. I read that Dwight Howard is someone they're looking at, I mean... why? I know he's good and everything, but it's not really the kind of player who's going to thrive in international competition, and seemingly pointless when you've already got a guy like Amare. I wouldn't be shocked at all if the starting five of this team is loaded with superstars. Someone/Someone/LeBron/Kobe/Iverson or something equally ridiculous. They'll never learn.

That being said, a USA team with every single player available for selection would dominate regardless of how much teamwork they showed.

[Riot]

I know TD cancell it, but who else won't play for sure?

Kevin Garnett isn't going along with Jermaine O'Neal.

[maes]

I'm definitely surprised he's agreeing. Since when do top-tier players do that anymore?

For most superstars, i think it's not about being too good for the Olympics, it's more about needing the summer to recover. Both Kobe & LeBron are still young and can play through the summer without problems.

[j.23]

they should put tayshaun prince in there. man, imagine if kirilenko was american and team USA had both tayshaun and kirilenko in the game.. it'd be fun to see how many airballs would be thrown up

[kinokong]

they should put tayshaun prince in there. man, imagine if kirilenko was american and team USA had both tayshaun and kirilenko in the game.. it'd be fun to see how many airballs would be thrown up

add bowen for good measure... i would like to add artest but those damn europeans drink a shitload of beer and would probably throw one at him lol

[bludgeon]

I know TD cancell it, but who else won't play for sure?

Kevin Garnett isn't going along with Jermaine O'Neal.

I knew KG and TD are not going but JO?
I though JO would be suitable for that style of play, He's got strength, low post moves AND mid-range jumper to go along with his blocking ability.

[Andrew]

The only reason a team of superstars should be dismissed these days is because of the egos flying around. The concept can work very well, as the first few Olympic teams featuring NBA talent demonstrated, suggesting that with the right blend of stars and the right coach - someone who can manage the egos and actually utilise the talent at his disposal - it could still work today. Kobe is not without his faults but I think he's one of the players that should be featured on the USA team.

[Abctest123]

bosh anyone? (sorry for the homer comment)

[Jowe]

I think Team USA would be more benefited if they had more defensive minded players then purely all scorers..

I'd like to see a starting line up of

Camby
Jermaine oneal
Bron
Kobe
chris paul..