Jerry Colangelo says Kobe Bryant could still end up playing for Team USA in 2016

Attending the Team USA Men's Basketball minicamp in Las Vegas was supposedly mandatory for anyone who wanted to be a part of the 2016 Olympic squad in Rio de Janeiro.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't given one of the 34 invites in the first place, which should have ended any chance he had of eventually winding up on the final roster. However, when you're "The Black Mamba," anything is possible.

USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo recently told Sheridan Hoops' Chris Sheridan that the door is open for the 17-time All-Star to make the cut, even though he's not currently in Sin City.

"If he had a great year, it would be a great story for him to try to close out his career by winning a gold medal,” Colangelo said.

“The thing is, he’s going to have a lot of competition."

The crop of talent vying for a spot on the roster is truly mesmerizing, with the wing positions full of some of the NBA's elite. LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a healthy Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and James Harden of the Houston Rockets and a bevy of other All-Stars are all in the mix.

Sure, it would fantastic to see Bryant close out his basketball career with some more gold around his neck, but who is he beating out to make the team? Bryant, who turns 37 years old near the end of the month, missed all but 35 games in 2014-15 after tearing the rotator cuff in his right shoulder against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Having also suffered a torn Achilles tendon and fractured kneecap in recent memory, Bryant's body has clearly been through the grinder. He already has two Olympic gold medals on his resume (Beijing and London), so capturing a third may not be on the top of his to-do list anyway.