Despite announcing in poem-form that he'd retire after this season, and despite his play on the court so far during the season, Kobe Bryant is still one of 34 players being considered for 12 spots on the U.S.'s 2016 Olympic team. The determining factors for Kobe (and probably everybody else) are whether or not he's injured, and the "overall composition of the team." The decision will eventually be decided by the team's basketball director, Jerry Colangelo, and head coach Mike Krzyzewski, with the final roster expected to be unveiled in June.
During a November 9 interview with the AP's Tim Reynolds, Bryant made clear his desire to make an appearance during next year's Rio games, saying:
"It would mean the world to me to be around those guys. I think to be able to have a chance to continue the relationship that I already have with most of those guys, talking and just kind of being around each other and understanding that this is it, it's just us being together, that would be fun."
Kobe has previously participated in the Olympics in 2008 and 2012, both of which were gold medal winning years.
[via TMZ Sports]
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