Although he has not ruled out the possibility altogether, Los Angeles Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant is unlikely to participate in Saturday's Goodman League vs. Drew League all-star game, according to Dino Smiley, the commissioner of LA's Drew League. He said the following to Michael Lee of the Washington Post about the possibility of the five-time NBA champion coming to DC:
"Tell the people in D.C. Kobe ain't going to come with us - he's saying that right now. But we're bringing the No. 2 pick with us, too," Smiley said. "He's locked in."
Smiley is referring to Minnesota Timberwolves draft pick Derrick Williams, a forward out of the University of Arizona, who has taken Washington Wizards guard Nick Young's spot on the roster.
Speculation of the 2008 NBA MVP's possible participation in the exhibition game came after Bryant scored 43 points, including the game-winning 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer, in a Drew League exhibition. The prolific scorer then put his hands in the air in triumph as the crowd chanted his name.