Count me out at your peril. (Sue Ogrocki - AP)

You had to know Kobe Bryant wasn’t looking to pass the torch to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a night when he wasn’t even looking to pass the ball. Bryant offered an offensive clinic in his final game of the season on Monday, serving up a plate of assorted pump fakes, fadeaways, footwork and flash.

He scored 42 points in 41 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the second round for the second year in a row, following a 106-90 loss to the Thunder. But Bryant also had zero assists, which was evidence of the limited trust he had in his teammates – and also confirmation that he was playing for his legacy as much as a Lakers victory in Game 5.

After losing another opportunity to win that coveted Michael-Jordan-tying sixth ring, Bryant was even more reluctant to concede anything to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the young’uns who exacted their revenge for losing to the Lakers two years ago. In Bryant’s mind, the changing of the guard hasn’t occurred. Not yet.

“I’m not fading into the shadows, if that is what you’re asking. I’m not going anywhere,” Bryant told reporters in Oklahoma City, before interrupting a follow-up question to add, “We’re not going anywhere. This is not one of those things where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappear forever. I’m not going for that . . .”

Nearly three weeks after his invitation was revealed, Wizards point guard John Wall was officially named to the 13-man USA Men’s Select Team roster.

(Streeter Lecka - GETTY IMAGES) Rookie of the year Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers will also headline a team that includes Orlando Magic forward Ryan Anderson, San Antonio forward DeJuan Blair, Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors, Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George, Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin and Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.

The select team will train against U.S. men’s national team from July 6-11 in Las Vegas. Former Toronto Raptors coach and 2010 USA world championship assistant Jay Triano and Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins will guide the squad as it prepares the national team for the London Olympics.

I would recommend the playoffs for all of those who’ve been missing out. (Mark Humphrey - AP) Nick Young’s season ended quietly and his clothing was a lot less loud on Sunday as he exited Staples Center, possibly for the final time as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Young scored just three points off the bench in 10 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs swept the Clippers out of the playoffs with a 102-99 win. He also walked out of the locker room wearing a rather conservative denim shirt, instead of one of those colorful and flashy, Aztec-inspired print shirts that had attracted so much attention during the Clippers’ playoff run.

“Never know,” Young said, when asked about returning to the Clippers next season. “It could happen, but you never know. “

Young joined his hometown Clippers at the trade deadline, surrendering his no-trade clause to join a playoff contender that featured two all-stars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. He didn’t have the same role he had been accustomed to playing in Washington, as he adjusted from being the Wizards’ leading scorer to being a designated scorer who got playing time based on his performance. 

 Nene’s participation in the London Olympics wasn’t guaranteed after he failed to represent Brazil in a qualifying tournament last summer. Nene even expressed some concern when asked last month about Brazil facing the United States in an exhibition game on July 16 at Verizon Center.

(Toni L. Sandys - THE WASHINGTON POST) “It’s going to be amazing, big. The national team is going to be here, but I don’t know if I’m going to be on the list,” Nene said, while shrugging his shoulders.

Now he knows. Brazil Coach Ruben Magnano announced on Thursday that Nene, Indiana Pacers guard Leandro Barbosa, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao and Tiago Splitter of the San Antonio Spurs would be on his 15-player list for the national team. Only 12 players will be in London.

Morris Almond didn’t get an opportunity to play much in his return to the NBA, but the Wizards saw enough to invite him to join the team for summer league. If he plays well in Las Vegas this July, Almond could possibly earn an invitation to training camp with the Wizards.

But he might want to consider quietly walking away — because based on his short stint in Washington, Almond could go down as the greatest winner in Wizards franchise history. He didn’t win a championship or anything, but the Wizards didn’t lose a game with him on the roster.

“I’m not going to say anything, but we did go undefeated in the Morris Almond era. I’ll let you put two and two together,” Almond said with a sly grin. “I went undefeated. I was 6-0. Hold onto that. It’s always fun to win, under any circumstances.”