Much has been said about Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant potentially finishing his career as a member of Team USA in the 2016 Olympics held in Rio. Bryant, who announced his retirement via the Players’ Tribune earlier this week, is a two-time gold-medalist with Team USA.
There have been many takes on whether Kobe should or should not be on the team. On Friday, Bryant joined ESPN’s Mike and Mike to say that he wants to play in the Olympics, if he is able to:
“God willing, if I feel like I can make a significant contribution, and if I feel like my body is up for it, […] I would love to play”
Those two conditions are huge “ifs” at this point in Bryant’s career. At 37 years of age and coming off three season-ending injuries, Bryant’s body is not exactly in great shape. Meanwhile, the shooting guard has struggled incredibly in his farewell season, putting up career-low numbers.
There will be plenty more talk regarding Kobe potentially playing in the Olympics from now until the summer. On one hand, Bryant cannot contribute much to the team and his inclusion would mean a more deserving candidate is left out. On the other hand, Team USA could still dominate nearly every other team and Bryant has been an integral part of the team over his entire career that it may seem like a necessary gift to allow the legend to play with the team one more time.
