MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant, the face of the U.S. men’s team favoured to retain its gold medal, has slammed the NBA for considering an age limit that would prevent many of the world’s top basketball players taking part in future Olympics.
National Basketball Ass-ociation (NBA) Commis-sioner David Stern has spoken about the possibility of limiting participation in the Olympic basketball tournament to players aged 23 and under following the July 27-Aug. 12 London Games.
“It’s a stupid idea, stupid,” Bryant, 33, told reporters yesterday ahead of Team USA’s Olympic friendly against Britain on Thursday. “It should be a (player’s) choice.
NBA team owners are understood to be concerned about the greater potential for injuries and fatigue suffered by the top players while they represent their national teams during the league’s off season.
But Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and a member of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2008 Olympics, feels anything but the world’s best players is not acceptable when it comes to international competition.
“The Olympics is really about putting the best athletes out there to compete against the best. That’s what it’s about, put the best out there,” said Bryant. “From a basketball standpoint, (an age limit) would lessen the Olympics, absolutely.”
