If Kobe wants to earn a slot in the 2016 Olympic squad, he will have to work hard for it according to USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo.

According to Sam Amick of USA Today, Colangelo is not promising Kobe a sure slot in the Olympics considering the pool of stars that would like to represent the country.

"When I was approached originally about Kobe's interest in potentially playing in the Olympics - this goes back early last summer, I guess, or spring - and the concept being that it would be great to end a career, win a gold medal and ride off into the sunset. That was just thrown my way by his agent, Rob Pelinka," Colangelo said.

"I just took it in and I said, 'Rob, I don't rule anyone out, but it has got to be based on performance because there's so many people who want (to be on the team) - everyone wants to be on the roster.'"

Bryant knows very well that the slot won't be handed to him that easily and he is very eager to prove that he still belongs. He said that playing along with other superstars is priceless and will be the perfect end to his basketball career.

"It would mean the world to me to be around those guys," Bryant said via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. "I think to be able to have a chance to continue the relationship that I already have with most of those guys, talking and just kind of being around each other and understanding that this is it, it's just us being together, that would be fun."

Kobe is playing so-so to start this season and fans might think that this will affect his chances of being selected. However, Colangelo guaranteed that this season's performance won't be a factor on selecting members of next year's Olympic team.