100 Olympic Athletes To Watch
From Australia to Zimbabwe, China to the U.S., TIME takes you on a world tour to introduce you to the most compelling athletes you'll be seeing in the Beijing Games
Basketball
United States
Age: 29
Sure, he can be selfish. And his behavior off the court has been scandalous. So you may never love Bryant. But not respecting his game is insane. He just turned in one of the NBA's most sterling seasons ever, winning the MVP award and willing the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Finals. With Bryant on board, Team USA has no excuses— even LeBron James calls him the world's best player. Bryant showed more willingness to share the ball this season, which should serve the Americans well; imagine Kobe kicking it out to James or Dwayne Wade as teams swarm him this summer. The only potential hiccup is his wonky pinkie. He's delaying surgery on a torn ligament so he can win his first Olympic gold. "I've played with it, and I'm going to continue to play with it," says Bryant of the damaged digit. "It won't limit me."
View the full list for "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"Latest Lists
Most Popular »
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Black Friday Sales Were Encouraging, Retailers Say
- How to Get Smarter, One Breath at a Time
- Will Dubai's Financial Problems Spread?
- Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
- Germany's Doubts About Afghanistan Grow After Revelations About Air Strike
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- Behind the Philippines' Maguindanao Massacre
- A Brief History Of Black Friday
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- How to Get Smarter, One Breath at a Time
- Will Dubai's Financial Problems Spread?
- Is Gene Therapy Finally Ready for Prime Time?
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- Why Big Shopping Bargains Are Bad News For America
- The Gospel of Glee: Is It Anti-Christian?
- How One Army Town Copes With Post- Traumatic Stress
- Can Dopamine Make Your Future Look Brighter?
RSS