After Kobe Bryant heard about Tom Thibodeau wanting to recruit him back for a third stint with Team USA for the 2016 Olympics, the superstar guard let it be known that he had no intention of returning for another shot at a gold medal.
On Wednesday night, Bryant attended the matchup between the Miami Hurricanes and Duke Blue Devils while the Los Angeles Lakers were in Florida to face the Miami Heat the following day. Apparently, Bryant caught up with Duke and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski and told Coach K the following about the 2016 Olympic Games according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
Coach K says he talked to @kobebryant last night abt Team USA 16. Kobe told him he would be there but, "You probably won't want to play me"
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) January 23, 2014
With Team USA already having a stacked roster filled with superstar talent like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Carmelo Anthony and James Harden, Bryant really doesn’t need to return in order to secure gold in 2016.
Not only is the roster already stacked and by far the most talented entering the games in 2016, but Bryant will be nearing 38-years-old with two more seasons in the NBA added to his resume by that time.
Although it wouldn’t surprise many that Bryant would change his mind about playing in the Olympics in two years time, it’s safe to assume that he’s officially done and may be done with basketball altogether by the time Summer 2016 rolls around.
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