“This is it for me. I was fortunate enough to play in two Olympiads. Looking forward to it, man. This is fun. People asking me all the time why I’m doing it going into your 17th year in the league. There’s nothing like playing for your country.”
At 33-years-old, Kobe has seemingly come to grips with the fact that this will almost certainly be his last time around playing for Team USA. With that being said, the five-time NBA champion knows how important his role is on this team and winning second consecutive gold medal is the number one priority.
This time around will be a passing of the torch of sorts for Kobe with LeBron James and Kevin Durant taking the helm after the 17-year veteran calls it a career on the international level. Expectations are high once again for Team USA heading into the 2012 Olympics with everyone watching Kobe and company as they strive for another gold medal finish under Coach K.
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