Pheonix ? Kobe Bryant plans to play for the U.S. team at this year’s world basketball championships and the 2008 Olympics. Bryant gave an emphatic nod to joining the U.S. team in a meeting Friday with the head of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo.

“I’m very excited, man, very excited,” Bryant said Friday night before his Los Angeles Lakers met the Phoenix Suns. “I’m excited to be an Olympian, to represent our country. I’ve been looking forward to this.”