USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo confirmed that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has expressed interest in playing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Bryant failed to attend the three-day minicamp in Las Vegas this week. Colangelo previously said that a player should be in Las Vegas for the minicamp if he wants to be considered for the final roster next year.

However, Colangelo clarified that he has already talked to Bryant about the possibility of having a farewell stint for Team USA in Brazil, where the national squad will defend their Olympic title.

Bryant, who will be playing in the final year of his contract in the upcoming season, made it no secret that the 2015-16 NBA season could be his last in the league. For Colangelo, there is no better way for Bryant to end his career than winning another Olympic gold medal in Rio next year.

"In response to a question about him, I said it would be a great story if he did play in Rio," Colangelo told reporters after the USA Basketball scrimmage on Thursday. "And so, he also mentioned to me in a private conversation that if he had his druthers, he would love to ride off into the sunset playing one more time and winning the gold medal."

Bryant told Colangelo, though, that he does not want to be given special treatment. The 19-year veteran said that he needs to earn a spot on the final roster, but Colangelo told the 17-time All-Star that there is already a roster spot waiting for him if he decides to play for the national team again.

Colangelo said that Bryant deserves a spot because he has done a lot for the national team. The 36-year-old superstar helped Team USA win the gold medal during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in Beijing and London, respectively.

"There's a guy who's made great contributions to the game, again, one of the great players of all time," Colangelo said, referring to Bryant. "He helped us win the gold medal in Beijing. Trust me, he really did. And so he's entitled to an opportunity."

Bryant, who averaged 22.3 points on top of 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury last season, should decide quickly after the 2015-16 season.

Colangelo and USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski said that they will name the final roster shortly after the 2016 NBA Draft. Colangelo and Krzyzewski will also wait for LeBron James to decide. Like Bryant, James also has an automatic spot on the final roster for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

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