Mike Krzyzewski has a commitment from another top recruit: Kobe Bryant.

Bryant told the U.S. basketball coach he will play in the London Olympics in 2012 if the Americans want him there.

The 32-year-old Lakers guard was a guest on Krzyzewski's SIRIUS XM radio show Tuesday when the Duke coach asked Bryant about London.

"You guys want me there, I am there and I'm ready to defend," Bryant said. "And then when you guys need me to put some points on the board, I'll do that, too."

Bryant confirmed his interest in wearing the red-white-and-blue again Tuesday night after scoring 23 points in Los Angeles' 124-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bryant said it's a huge honor to be part of the Olympics.

"You get a chance to see and meet the greatest athletes in the world," he said. "Aside from just the basketball part of it and being with a great group of guys, it's an opportunity to meet some of the best at what they do. It's great for me, I get a chance to talk to them and meet them and go to their events and watch new sports. It's just a blast."

Bryant was a starter on the U.S. squad that won gold medals in 2008 in Beijing but hasn't played for the American team since then. He sat out the world championships this summer, recovering from right knee surgery following the Lakers' taxing championship run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Bryant will turn 34 in August 2012, and his two-time defending champion Lakers appear to be loaded for two more long playoff runs after making the past three NBA Finals. Yet Bryant scoffs at worries about the wear and tear on his body in the early weeks of his 15th season with the Lakers.

"If anything, I'll just be Mariano Rivera -- come in in the last two minutes," Bryant said, referring to the New York Yankees closer.

Beijing stalwarts LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul also skipped the Istanbul tournament, while Kevin Durant led the remainder of the U.S. team to its first world championship in 16 years.

Anthony and Paul already have said they would love to return for another Olympic run. The Americans will have next summer off, having already qualified for the Olympics with the world title won by Durant and a supporting cast including Lamar Odom, who's off to an outstanding start with the Lakers despite his extra summer work.

Much to the chagrin of men around the world, tennis star Maria Sharapova is officially off the market. The world's highest-paid female athlete is engaged to marry L.A. Laker Sasha Vujacic,TMZ.com reports. 

Sharapova and Vujacic are both having a tough few months professionally: Sharapova has fallen to 18th in the world after injuries kept her on the sidelines and affected her on-court play. And Vujacic's been riding the pine recovering from a concussion. Perhaps a wedding will turn it all around!

Magic Johnson just sold 105 Starbucks and his stake in the Lakers…why you ask?  He’s trying to do what most businessmen have not been able to accomplish..bring the NFL back to Los Angeles..According to my sources, Magic is getting a group together to bring the NFL to Los Angeles..and my sources tell me Russell Simmons would be heavily involved as well..Magic and his group would build a stadium in the City of Industry..Los Angeles is the biggest market in the country without NFL football and Magic sees this as possibly his greatest business investment he could ever dream of..When asked about the prospect of Magic owning an NFL team he said.. “Would I be interested? Of course I would be interested,” Johnson said. ”Have I talked to anybody about it? No. But I would love … I would do that in two seconds.” I for one would love to see some NFL action in La La land..

The fact that Ron Artest(notes is promoting mental health in schools today is amazing in its own right. Considering Artest went from throwing medicine in the garbage to being a government-approved mental-health spokesman in a matter of years, he knows as well as anybody the effectiveness of seeking out help. If that were the end of Artest's foray into mental-health awareness, that would be more than enough.

But since that was only the first graph of a blog post, that's not the end of the story. And really, since it's Ron Artest, there should be no surprise that there's more. Here's the latest development, which just might be more surprising than Artest's school speaking adventure. From NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper:

Artest finally won a title in June after 11 regular seasons of trying ... and now he's planning to sell the championship ring as a fundraiser to put more psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists in schools.

"I'm never going to put it on," he said.

Artest plans to soon announce details of what he hopes will become a worldwide auction, and he takes possession of the jewelry in an Oct. 26 pre-game ceremony before the Lakers open against the Rockets. It's an incredible gesture. But it's even more meaningful as a statement.

"You work so hard to get a ring, and now you have a chance to help more people than just yourself, instead of just satisfying yourself," he said. "What's better than that? For me, this is very important."

Awesome? Awesome. No one was happier to win last year's title than Ron Artest, so to see him give up something that obviously means the world to him — just to help people — is really cool. Better than cool, actually. Splendid? Heartwarming? Delightful? No words, really, but let's go with "astonishing." Yeah, that fits.

Sacramento County authorities say Los Angeles Lakers guard Matt Barnes has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran says deputies arrested Barnes after responding to what was termed an incomplete 911 call from a home around 4:16 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputies say both Barnes and the woman had visible injuries, but took Barnes into custody after determining he had been the primary aggressor.

The name of the woman was not released, but she was described by authorities as "a woman who lived with him and with whom he had a dating relationship."

Barnes was booked into the Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of domestic violence and maliciously obstructing the use of a telephone line.

He posted a $50,000 bond and was released. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday.

Aaron Goodwin, Barnes' agent, reached in Turkey by ESPNLosAngeles.com, said in a text message that he was "getting the facts first from both parties" before commenting further.

"I plan to find out accurately what transpired, and go from there," Goodwin said via text.

Barnes, who attended UCLA, signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Lakers in July.