# Kobe: Olympic gold is more important than NBA title



## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

Lakers star prepares for Olympics with USA basketball team.
By JANIS CARR; The Orange County Register










LAS VEGAS Kobe Bryant has won games and NBA titles 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 competition 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."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bryant-playing-play-2101123-pressure-basketball


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## King George (Jun 21, 2003)

yeah, because he lost.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

If thats the case why did he pass on the team in 2000 and 2004?


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

I don't think he passed on the opportunity then - if memory serves me right (which it might not), he couldn't play due to injuries.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

I believe he had knee surgery in 2000 and in 2004 he couldn't because of the rape trial.


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## nets1fan102290 (Apr 16, 2007)

kobe is saying that because he has to. if he would have said the nba title was more important then he would be criticized or w.e its so obvious thats what all the players are saying


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## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

CubanLaker said:


> I believe he had knee surgery in 2000 and in 2004 he couldn't because of the rape trial.


The knee surgery was in 2003. I don't recall him being injured at all in 2000.


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

He could've played in 2000. Now he's just being PC and saying the right thing, I doubt he really means it.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Pinball said:


> The knee surgery was in 2003. * I don't recall him being injured at all in 2000.*


Youre right. He took that summer off to rest.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Wasn't he coming off the ankle injury from the NBA Finals in 2000? Or was he healed by the time the Olympics rolled around?


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

I'm not quite sure if anybody has noticed, but athletes and celebrities for that matter say a lot of things they don't mean. Maintaining an image has always been of great importance with the majority of super stars. That's where the discussion ends as far as I'm concerned. Let's not waste our time debating where Kobe's true priorities lie. He, along with the other Olympian basketball players have a very strong desire to win the Gold Medal. Otherwise Kobe would not be playing with four fingers on his shooting hand right now. What more do you want?


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Christ, i hate the offseason..


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

Pinball said:


> The knee surgery was in 2003. I don't recall him being injured at all in 2000.


He had knee surgery in 04, right before Malone and Payton came aboard so he couldn't do it. 2000 he had no excuse.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

EHL said:


> He had knee surgery in 04, right before Malone and Payton came aboard so he couldn't do it. 2000 he had no excuse.


Malone and Payton came aboard in the summer of 03 (same summer of rape trial).

He had no excuse either time, it's just not the priority he is saying it is.


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## HallOfFamer (May 26, 2003)

2000 no reason. 2004 valid reason:



> Bryant had been expected to take part in the Athens Olympics in 2004 but withdrew to deal with a sexual assault case against him in Colorado.
> 
> "It was very disappointing so I just try not to think about it too much," Bryant said of not being able to play in Athens. "I just let it go. Everything happens for a reason, and this for whatever reason is the time for me to be on the team."


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2006-01-20-bryant-us-team_x.htm


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

HallOfFamer said:


> 2000 no reason. 2004 valid reason:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2006-01-20-bryant-us-team_x.htm


The arrest was made in the summer of 03, same time he had the knee surgery.


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

Jamel Irief said:


> The arrest was made in the summer of 03, same time he had the knee surgery.


His trial hadn't ended by the time the Athens games started, as stated in the article.


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## Plastic Man (Nov 8, 2004)

He's definitely right, whether he means it or not. Since my team choked in the qualifiers, I'll be rooting for the US to win the Gold.


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## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

EHL said:


> His trial hadn't ended by the time the Athens games started, as stated in the article.


Yeah it was dismissed the very end of August or beginning of September if I remember right.


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## elcap15 (Aug 8, 2006)

CubanLaker said:


> Christ, i hate the offseason..


Im with you on this one buddy.


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

Only 94 days 8 hours 51 minutes 12 sec til tipoff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


link

:smoothcriminal:


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## elcap15 (Aug 8, 2006)

UUUggghhhh. Damn its farther away than I thought. Wait, I love preseason. That knocks off about 2 weeks right there.


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

hey elcap....I just bought some double apple tobacco for my hookah... they sell it at the middle eastern market right down the street for cheap!!!!! Come over and have a beer and a smoke later today...interested...

Oh and any other Lakers fan that sees this is invited too, just knock on doors til u find me


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