NBA king Kobe looks to follow Jordan's path
BEIJING (Reuters) - Having learned finally to share the ball, Kobe Bryant is poised to lead the United States' charge for Olympic basketball gold in Beijing.
Appearing at his first Olympics, the NBA's Most Valuable Player could be the key to American hopes of regaining a title once regarded as their birthright.
Bryant will also be looking to emulate Michael Jordan, arguably the sport's greatest player, by following his MVP title with an Olympic gold medal.
Jordan won gold as a college player in 1984 and again with the fabled "Dream Team" of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, alongside Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
The Los Angeles Lakers guard, who turns 30 the day before next month's Olympic basketball final on August 24, has long been burdened by comparisons with Jordan.
Told by a furious Chicago Bulls coach there was no "I" in "team" a young Jordan shot back: "Well, there is in 'win'."
Only when Jordan discovered the benefits of involving his team mates, however, did the Bulls win the first of their six NBA titles in 1991.
Bryant has suffered from similar criticism during his career and was once labeled "uncoachable" by Lakers and former Bulls coach Phil Jackson.
He has scored 81 points in a game, the second highest recorded in the NBA, but feuded with former team mate Shaquille O'Neal despite the pair propelling the Lakers to three championships in a row between 2000-02.
The new-look Bryant is a different beast and he will have extra incentive to win gold in Beijing after the Lakers were beaten by the Boston Celtics in this year's NBA finals.
A team ethic, embodied by the maturing Bryant, underpins the U.S. squad, who will face strong competition, not least from 2004 gold medalists Argentina and world champions Spain.
Bryant's ability to break down the defence off the dribble and solid shooting will be a huge plus for a U.S. team who could manage only bronze at the 2006 world championships in Japan.
Like Jordan, Bryant prides himself on his suffocating defence, an area likely to prove critical to the American team's gold medal chances in Beijing.
(Editing by Robert Woodward)
