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There was some talk earlier in the year that Kobe Bryant would want to finish his career with the U.S. Olympic basketball team in Rio De Janeiro this summer, and try and finish on top with a gold medal. However, earlier this week the retiring legend definitively announced that he was no longer interested in playing in the Olympics and wanted to play his final high level basketball game in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, saying "it's the young guys' turn to play and perform."
Bryant won gold medals at both Olympics he participated in, helping lead the United States to victory in both the Beijing and London games. Bryant played in 16 games for USA Basketball, according to the invaluable Basketball Reference, averaging 13.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over his two Olympic games. Those numbers aren't eye popping, but on a roster consisting of the best players in the world, Bryant was forced to share the spotlight to a much greater degree than his time in the NBA.
YouTube user Basketball Forever was inspired by Bryant's announcement to create a highlight video of Bryant's best moments from the Olympics, and it's pretty perfect:
Marvin Gaye's performance of "the Star Spangled Banner" really puts this one over the top. Kobe may be done playing international basketball, but we'll always have the memories of his seminal moments representing his country.