Kobe: Olympic Gold Is More Important Than NBA le

[duncan228]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/b...ure-basketball

Kobe: Olympic gold is more important than NBA le
Lakers star prepares for Olympics with USA basketball team.
By Janis Carr

LAS VEGAS Kobe Bryant has won games and NBA les and fans along the way.

He has a lucrative contract, money-spinning endorsements and moves envied by players around the world.

Now Bryant is going after the one thing he doesn't own, something that could earn him, and the other 11 members of the U.S. National basketball team, the respect it lost four years ago – an Olympic gold medal.

The United States, a perennial powerhouse in international basketball, lost its swagger four years ago, when the Americans finished preliminary play at 3-2 and then were forced to settle for a bronze medal after losing to Argentina in the semifinals.

Bryant and the others say this Olympiad will be different when the team plays in Beijing.

"What we have is a determination to win," Bryant said after the first day of practice at Valley High. "We have guys who work extremely hard, play hard, play well together and go out there and do what we do best."

Bryant has put aside the Lakers' loss to Boston in the NBA Finals and re-ignited his passion for the sport he dominated this past season. He said he is looking forward to the compe ion and pressure the United States faces heading into the Olympics.

"There is pressure every time we play, pressure to win, especially for us, USA Basketball," Bryant said. "It comes with the territory. It comes from playing sports. Pressure comes along with it.

"But everyone is used to dealing with it. We thrive on it."

Bryant put winning a gold medal above winning the Larry O'Brien trophy or MVP honors because "you're playing for your country. You're not playing for a region, a state … you're playing for the United States of America and that has more importance."

With so many international players competing in the NBA, Bryant is sure to see some familiar faces when he arrives in China. There's one player, however, he is eager to come up against – teammate Pau Gasol, who will be playing for Spain.

"(Before he left) he said he was going to go for gold. Obviously," Bryant said, laughing. "We all are. It's going to be fun. I look forward to seeing him."

[Anti.Hero]

He has team America behind him picking on third world countries.

Lots of pressure Kobe!

[1Parker1]

He has to say that...he just lost out on an NBA le and he's currently playing for a Gold medal.

[hater]

of course it is. Kobe got it right.

[lefty]

What a ing loser

[Kill_Bill_Pana]

It always make me laugh when see the US fans says NBA le mean more then Olympics gold. Is like some crazy joke but no they are serious.

[mavs>spurs2]

It always make me laugh when see the US fans says NBA le mean more then Olympics gold. Is like some crazy joke but no they are serious.

Ok, you hate the U.S., we get it already

[Lake_show]

The arguably greatest player ever is right. USA will get GOLD!!

[endrity]

The arguably greatest player ever is right. USA will get GOLD!!

NO!
It's not even debatable. He is not even the greatest Laker ever. Shaq, Magic, Kareem, and MAYBE Wilt are all better than him.

[hater]

Ok, you hate the U.S., we get it already

so now if you beleive olympics > nba, you automatically hate the US?

[Anti.Hero]

It always make me laugh when see the US fans says NBA le mean more then Olympics gold. Is like some crazy joke but no they are serious.

It is only great for other countries because winning gold is nothing new over here in Amerika.


I'm pulling for Argentina and would love to see team usa lose.

[mavs>spurs2]

so now if you beleive olympics > nba, you automatically hate the US?

Obviously you are unfamiliar with Kill Bill. It has nothing to do with the importance of Olympic gold

[Supergirl]

The US is going to get bounced, book it.

I would not be surprised to see them wind up not even placing. If they do place, it will probably be another bronze, certainly not a gold.

[tlongII]

Gold - USA
Silver - Spain
Bronze - Argentina

[IronMexican]

He said the same thing about a year ago.

so no surprise he said it now too.

[mardigan]

The US is going to get bounced, book it.

I would not be surprised to see them wind up not even placing. If they do place, it will probably be another bronze, certainly not a gold.

Maybe the silliest prediction I have ever read on this site.


Olympic Gold is much more important, the NBA isnt the end all be all. Spur fans need to get off of Kobe's already.

[Ghazi]

Olympic Gold shouldn't be as important... IDGI, the USA has a stacked ass roster... if they do win the Gold like they should it's hardly an accomplishment because their talent pool is so much greater than the opposing countries... atleast in the NBA there is compe ive balance, which makes it far more interest IMO. Furthermore I cannot help but question the patriotic fervor of the American players.

Anyone who thinks the USA will not win Gold is really banking on something going horribly wrong as far as chemistry, injuries, or some fluke... this roster looks so stacked that it should win every game by 15+ points, and beat the cupcakes by 30-40.

[jack sommerset]

I call BULL on Bryant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ducks]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/b...ure-basketball

Kobe: Olympic gold is more important than NBA le
Lakers star prepares for Olympics with USA basketball team.
By Janis Carr

LAS VEGAS Kobe Bryant has won games and NBA les and fans along the way.

He has a lucrative contract, money-spinning endorsements and moves envied by players around the world.

Now Bryant is going after the one thing he doesn't own, something that could earn him, and the other 11 members of the U.S. National basketball team, the respect it lost four years ago – an Olympic gold medal.

The United States, a perennial powerhouse in international basketball, lost its swagger four years ago, when the Americans finished preliminary play at 3-2 and then were forced to settle for a bronze medal after losing to Argentina in the semifinals.

Bryant and the others say this Olympiad will be different when the team plays in Beijing.

"What we have is a determination to win," Bryant said after the first day of practice at Valley High. "We have guys who work extremely hard, play hard, play well together and go out there and do what we do best."

Bryant has put aside the Lakers' loss to Boston in the NBA Finals and re-ignited his passion for the sport he dominated this past season. He said he is looking forward to the compe ion and pressure the United States faces heading into the Olympics.

"There is pressure every time we play, pressure to win, especially for us, USA Basketball," Bryant said. "It comes with the territory. It comes from playing sports. Pressure comes along with it.

"But everyone is used to dealing with it. We thrive on it."

Bryant put winning a gold medal above winning the Larry O'Brien trophy or MVP honors because "you're playing for your country. You're not playing for a region, a state … you're playing for the United States of America and that has more importance."

With so many international players competing in the NBA, Bryant is sure to see some familiar faces when he arrives in China. There's one player, however, he is eager to come up against – teammate Pau Gasol, who will be playing for Spain.

"(Before he left) he said he was going to go for gold. Obviously," Bryant said, laughing. "We all are. It's going to be fun. I look forward to seeing him."

LIAR

[Trainwreck2100]

It will be nice to send those Argies down a peg.

[Darthkiller]

easy for him to say, he already got 3 rings.

[TheNextGen]

I cant hate on what he is saying..maybe 2 decades ago, it wasnt that important cuz USA always won...but its been a while now. USA was a joke for the past decade. These guys better win the Gold cuz its embarassing that we suck at our own sport.

[ShoogarBear]

Also, the Western Conference le is more important than the NBA le, too.

[johngateswhiteley]

The US is going to get bounced, book it.

I would not be surprised to see them wind up not even placing. If they do place, it will probably be another bronze, certainly not a gold.

wanna bet?

[johngateswhiteley]

of course it is. Kobe got it right.

i agree.