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WASHINGTON: National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player
Kobe Bryant, who sparked the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals,
smiled when asked about his summer plans following the playoffs.
Mindful of teammate Pau Gasol and his role in
leading Spain to the world championship in 2006 in Japan, Bryant
tossed down the challenge.
“One thing that’s on my list is to stop Pau
from winning a gold medal,” Bryant said.
The American team of NBA stars will be trying to
reclaim their position of global supremacy at the Beijing Olympics
after a third-place showing in Athens behind defending champion
Argentina and Italy.
“We’re on a mission,” USA Basketball
managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “Our guys get it. They
really do understand what’s at stake here.”
After losing only twice in Olympic history
before the 1992 Olympic debut of an NBA “Dream Team”, US stars
suffered a nightmare three losses in Athens and were ousted by
Greece in the 2006 world semifinals.
“There has to be a goal, an objective above
fixing the house of pain,” said Colangelo. “Ultimately that
results in that goal of winning a gold medal. We not only have a
goal to win it. We want people to respect us.”
“We’ve been very arrogant about the game and
said it’s our game. It’s the world’s game. It originated
here,” US coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
“The respect we’ve shown to international
basketball over the past two years has shown dividends and we’ll
continue that respect and show the best we can be on the world
stage. I love my guys. They will represent us well in Beijing.”
The US squad will be challenged by world
champion Spain, defending Olympic champion Argentina, Yao Ming-led
host China, Australia, Lithuania, Russia, Angola, Iran and three
teams from a qualifying event July 14 to 20 in Athens.
Greece, Germany, Croatia, Slove-nia, Brazil,
Canada, New Zealand, Cameroon, Puerto Rico, Cape Verde, Lebanon and
South Korea will try to play their way to Beijing.
Yao, a 7’5” center for the NBA Houston
Rockets, is likely to play despite suffering a stress fracture in
his left foot and missing the last two months of this past NBA
season following surgery.
The risk of injuries at the Olympics worries NBA
clubs.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have forbidden center
Zydrunas Ilgauskas to play for Lithuania in Beijing, citing a poor
health history that includes foot injuries that sidelined him for
full seasons.
Manu Ginobili, the San Antonio Spurs playmaker
who sparked Argentina to 2004 Olympic gold, also suffered a sprained
right ankle in the NBA playoffs and will be examined in July with
the team fearful he could do more damage in Beijing.
-- AFP
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