The USA basketball association announced on Monday 23rd June 2008 that the MVP Kobe Bryant would be leading the USA national basketball team to the Beijing Olympic Games.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are also included in the team. The team also includes young players like Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams.

In a news conference on Monday, the basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo reported that it was a very difficult task to select the players when there are so many outstanding players in the country. He added "to select a group of 12 is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people."

Wade said that the nation knows what they are expecting form them. "I've always seen myself to be a part of the Olympics, but that was in dreams," Wade said. "I never really anticipated being on the Olympic team, especially in my first year. I didn't have a clue that I was going to be selected."

Bryant will also be making his first ever Olympic debut. Wade concluded by saying "it feels great to be here." The team will gather in Las Vegas in the next month for the final discussion before the Beijing Olympics.