NBA: Why Kobe Bryant Decided to Skip 2016 Rio Olympics

By Grace RiversJanuary 18, 2016 12:26 EST

Basketball fans who are looking forward to watching Kobe Bryant don the USA Basketball jersey for the last time will not get their wish granted, as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar announced that he will not play in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Bryant, who will retire after the 2015-16 NBA season, told Yahoo Sports that he has already informed USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski about his decision.

When asked why he decided to let go of the opportunity of playing his final tournament for USA Basketball in Rio, Bryant said that he does not want to get a roster spot from a deserving player.

"Since my retirement announcement, I'm able to watch these guys in a different light," Bryant said. "I've come to terms with the fact that they are the future of this game. These are the guys who deserve the spots in Rio. These are the guys who people need to watch and root for."

Bryant, who helped the national squad win the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, also admitted that his health could hurt the team, as he has been dealing with numerous injuries over the past several years, including shoulder and Achilles issues.

But for fans who will be contented in seeing Bryant in Rio, there is still hope. The five-time NBA champion said that he is willing to help USA Basketball but in a different capacity.

"If they want me to come down and speak to the guys, I will, but that's about it," said Bryant, who is averaging 16.3 points on top of 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season. "As beautiful as it would be to play for the country - I mean, I love our country - when I say my last game, it's going to be my last game."

Following Bryant's decision to take his name out of consideration, USA Basketball named the 30 finalists on Monday. The final roster is expected to be announced in June after the 2016 NBA Finals. Below is the list of finalists.