Kobe Commits to U.S. Team

Kobe Bryant said he notified USA Basketball officials Thursday morning that he would accept their invitation to play in the 2004 Summer Olympics along with next summer’s qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.

“I just want to play, just made up my mind,” Bryant said after Thursday’s practice. “It hit me one morning. I wanted to compete ... and bring home what’s rightfully ours.”

Bryant said he notified selection committee chairman Stu Jackson of his decision (“I’m on,” he said), and that he recently had spoken to Philadelphia 76er Coach Larry Brown, who will coach both national teams.

Initially, Bryant had been hesitant to commit to both summers, in part, he had said, because his wife was expecting the couple’s first child in February.

Asked Thursday how he had reconciled that, and if that meant his family would accompany him to Puerto Rico and then Athens, Bryant snapped, “You’re asking personal questions. What’s wrong with you?”

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Shaquille O’Neal is in second place, more than 150,000 votes behind Houston’s Yao Ming, the rookie from China, in balloting for the Western Conference’s All-Star center, news O’Neal took with grace and humility Thursday afternoon.

An All-Star eight consecutive years (not including the lockout year), and voted as the game’s starting center in one conference or the other in all but one of them (1997, Hakeem Olajuwon), O’Neal said he would attend the game and serve as Yao’s backup, if chosen.

“It happens to the best of us,” O’Neal said, smiling. “When I came in, I beat out Patrick Ewing.

“He’s making history for his people. His people are proud of him. They should be. One billion people. That’s tough to beat.”

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Kareem Rush did not return from Missouri in time for practice, apparently due to inclement weather. He is expected today.... Samaki Walker did return to practice after a bout with what team officials called tonsillitis. Walker said he had an abscess in his throat lanced three times since Friday.