Kobe Bryant wants to suit up for the 2012 London Olympics
After missing USA’s gold-medal triumph in the 2010 World Basketball Championship, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant made a commitment to play for the national basketball team in the
2012 London Olympics.
The 32-year old guard told USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski on Tuesday 2 November that he is willing to wear the national colours again if the coach and the Americans still want him to be there.
"You guys want me there, I am there and I'm ready to defend," Bryant said. "And then when you guys need me to put some points on the board, I'll do that, too."
The former Most Valuable Player and five-time champion also confirmed his intention of donning the red-white-and-blue again after guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-105 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night 2 November.
Bryant, who skipped the world championship during the summer because of the knee surgery he underwent after the 2010 NBA finals, said that it is huge honour to be a part of the Olympics,
which is tagged as the biggest sports event in the world.
"You get a chance to see and meet the greatest athletes in the world," he said. "Aside from just the basketball part of it and being with a great group of guys, it's an opportunity to meet
some of the best at what they do. It's great for me, I get a chance to talk to them and meet them and go to their events and watch new sports. It's just a blast."
Bryant was a starter for the USA team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and made key contributions to the team especially in the title match against Pau Gasol-led Spain where he buried a crucial
three-pointer that sealed the gold-medal finish for the highly-touted American squad.
Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, who also missed the world championship, have already made themselves available for the Olympic-campaign of the USA Basketball Team, who are still waiting confirmations
from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard.
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