Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was quoted as saying: “You guys want me in London. I am there and I’m ready to defend. And then when you guys need me to put some points on the board, I’ll do that, too.”
Coupled with the comments by LeBron James and Dwight Howard, it looks like USA Basketball is reloading for the defense of their 2008 Gold Medal from Beijing.
That’s the dilemma now facing Team USA officials, and the result no one wants. LeBron James and a few other stars plan on skipping this Summer’s World Championships due to other commitments, but they still want to play in the Olympics. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo responded by saying there will be no “free passes” to the 2012 London Olympics. Any player who skips prior USA Basketball commitments does it “with an understanding of the risks.”
What do you think? How bad would it be for Team USA if LeBron James and Dwayne Wade weren’t on the team?