loopymitch
All-Star
http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_R_lakers_15.226a418.html
[SIZE=-1]By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise[/SIZE]
Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant will not participate in the USA Basketball Senior National Team's training camp that begins Wednesday in Las Vegas because he had minor surgery on his right knee Friday.
Bryant, who has yearned to represent the United States in the Olympics, won't miss out on his opportunity. He will remain a member of the Olympic team and still is expected to attend the team's training camp and pre-World Championship tour, a spokesperson for USA Basketball said.
Bryant had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for what was described as a "minor treatment" of a cartilage and removal of scar tissue.
He is expected to be sidelined eight to 12 weeks while recovering. That could take Bryant right up to the start of Lakers training camp on Oct. 2, meaning he might not be 100 percent healthy.
USA Basketball said Bryant, one of the stars who has committed to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, will have limited "basketball participation" with the team while he recovers from surgery.
"We trust that Kobe will have a total and speedy recover, and we are pleased that he expressed a willingness to remain as involved with our team as possible through this process," Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Senior National Team managing director, said in a statement issued by USA Basketball. "Kobe being with the team will add to our team chemistry, and his presence will help provide valuable off-court leadership."
Bryant, who had surgery on his knee in the summer of 2003, became the second Laker this week who backed out of the USA Basketball training camp.
Lamar Odom pulled out because of the death of his infant son, Jayden, June 29 in New York of an apparent suffocation while he slept in his crib.
Boston's Paul Pierce and Orlando's J. J. Redick, both of whom had been selected along with 24 other players to try out for the team, won't participate either.
Bryant, who led the Lakers to the first round of the Western Conference playoffs this past season, was prepared to commit to the USA team from 2006 to 2008, the year the Olympics take place in China.
Bryant has said in the past he didn't like the United States winning just a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. Bryant has said that he wanted to put USA basketball back on top.
"It's a honor," Bryant said when he was selected to the Olympic team. "We get the chance to play for our country. There are a lot of troops out there who go out and represent our country and fight for our freedom. We as basketball players, this is what we do. It's an opportunity for us to go out there and show the world that we are No. 1 in basketball"
The USA team will train from Wednesday through July 25 in Las Vegas. It will play in the five-team World Basketball Challenge in Seoul, South Korea, Aug, 11-15. The U. S. team will also play preliminary-round games in the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Sapporo, Japan, Aug. 19-24.
Reach Broderick Turner at bturner@PE.com
[SIZE=-1]By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise[/SIZE]
Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant will not participate in the USA Basketball Senior National Team's training camp that begins Wednesday in Las Vegas because he had minor surgery on his right knee Friday.
Bryant, who has yearned to represent the United States in the Olympics, won't miss out on his opportunity. He will remain a member of the Olympic team and still is expected to attend the team's training camp and pre-World Championship tour, a spokesperson for USA Basketball said.
Bryant had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for what was described as a "minor treatment" of a cartilage and removal of scar tissue.
He is expected to be sidelined eight to 12 weeks while recovering. That could take Bryant right up to the start of Lakers training camp on Oct. 2, meaning he might not be 100 percent healthy.
USA Basketball said Bryant, one of the stars who has committed to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, will have limited "basketball participation" with the team while he recovers from surgery.
"We trust that Kobe will have a total and speedy recover, and we are pleased that he expressed a willingness to remain as involved with our team as possible through this process," Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Senior National Team managing director, said in a statement issued by USA Basketball. "Kobe being with the team will add to our team chemistry, and his presence will help provide valuable off-court leadership."
Bryant, who had surgery on his knee in the summer of 2003, became the second Laker this week who backed out of the USA Basketball training camp.
Lamar Odom pulled out because of the death of his infant son, Jayden, June 29 in New York of an apparent suffocation while he slept in his crib.
Boston's Paul Pierce and Orlando's J. J. Redick, both of whom had been selected along with 24 other players to try out for the team, won't participate either.
Bryant, who led the Lakers to the first round of the Western Conference playoffs this past season, was prepared to commit to the USA team from 2006 to 2008, the year the Olympics take place in China.
Bryant has said in the past he didn't like the United States winning just a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. Bryant has said that he wanted to put USA basketball back on top.
"It's a honor," Bryant said when he was selected to the Olympic team. "We get the chance to play for our country. There are a lot of troops out there who go out and represent our country and fight for our freedom. We as basketball players, this is what we do. It's an opportunity for us to go out there and show the world that we are No. 1 in basketball"
The USA team will train from Wednesday through July 25 in Las Vegas. It will play in the five-team World Basketball Challenge in Seoul, South Korea, Aug, 11-15. The U. S. team will also play preliminary-round games in the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Sapporo, Japan, Aug. 19-24.
Reach Broderick Turner at bturner@PE.com
