Kobe or The Field
Looks like Mamba wants in.
According to an ESPN report posted last night, Team USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo told reports that he had a private conversation with Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant that included Bryant telling Colangelo that he would win a gold medal with Team USA next summer in RIO before retiring.
“I was quoted on Kobe,” Colangelo said after USA Basketball’s intrasquad scrimmage at the Thomas & Mack Center. “In response to a question about him, I said it would be a great story if he did [play in Rio].”And so, he also mentioned to me in a private conversation that if he had his druthers, he would love to ride off into the sunset playing one more time and winning the gold medal. And that would be the end. But he was very quick to say, ‘But, I don’t want a spot. I need to earn the spot. I need to be capable of playing at that level to be considered.’ And I said, ‘You got that. That’s always there for you, Kobe.'” – Jerry Colangelo
With this season more than likely being Kobe’s last year, this would be a perfect way to go out. The only issue that lies ahead is simply not simple…
Who do you leave off?
In the last Olympics Kobe said that 2012 was his last one, but who can fault a change of heart?
Team USA can only carry 12 guys next summer for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. With the amount of guards that are apart of the program there are only so few spots. If you base it off of the roster style of the 2012 team there will only be 5 guards taken. The five guards from that team were:
- Chris Paul
- Deron Williams
- Russell Westbrook
- Kobe Bryant
- James Harden
Automatically you can book Paul, Harden and Westbrook to make the 2016 because of seniority and the fact that it is very rare that previous members of a gold medal team do not make the next one while still in their prime and also wanting to be apart of the team. Without Williams and Bryant it was safe to say their spots were going to be filled by Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving who both shined for the Team USA 2014 FIBA World Championship team. So the question is simple WGL readers, If Kobe wants in, Who do you take off?
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