For the U.S. men’s basketball team there’s only one goal: gold

LONDON — This is serious stuff, as per Kobe Bryant.

“We probably won’t be allowed back in the country if we don’t win,” he said Friday.

He was smiling, but he better not misplace his passport just in case the unthinkable happens.

The U.S. men’s basketball program was shaken into its current meet-every-summer state of being after a 5-3 skid at the 2004 Olympics that left them crawling out of Athens with a bronze medal. It was unacceptable to so many people that it set up a dominant 2008 gold-medal effort that will surely be matched again.

Won’t it?

PHOTOS: London Olympics | Day 1

The U.S. is handily favored to win the two-week tournament it begins Sunday against France. Who would bet against Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, even if Team USA has exactly one 7-footer?

So much has been written about the injured players not in attendance (Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, etc.), but the 12 suiting up are plenty capable.

On Friday, Bryant backed off his recent comments that this team would beat the legendary 1992 Dream Team. But Paul had no problem saying this squad would be more dominant than the 2008 team that went 8-0 and beat Spain in the gold-medal game by 11 points.

“It’s hard to believe, but LeBron James 2012 would kill LeBron James 2008,” Paul said. “We’re all more experienced. We know what to expect more.”

If true, the rest of the field can start fighting for the silver medal.

Beyond the expected dominance, though, is the possibility of the Dream Team era ending after these Olympics.

NBA Commissioner David Stern recently said he would consider enforcing a 23-and-younger age limit for future Olympics, mindful of protecting a very expensive roster (about $170 million) from possible injury. The NBA also plans to create a World Cup of Basketball like the one in soccer, taking place two years after every Olympics with no age limit and plenty of ways to maximize financial gain for the league.

Bryant continued to assail the thought of USA Basketball being turned over to college kids and young NBA players.

“I think we’re all concerned,” he said. “I’m sure Derrick Rose is concerned. I’m sure Durant is concerned. Russell Westbrook. You’ve got James Harden. They’re all enjoying this experience. I’m sure they want to be able to have the option to participate in it again. I don’t think it needs to be something that’s mandated or a particular rule about it.”

For now, the U.S. has one rule: Don’t lose.

Spain figures to give them the toughest time with brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, shot-swatting forward Serge Ibaka and Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon.

“They’re going to be a handful if we’re fortunate enough to see them,” Bryant said. “The biggest difference between their team now and their team in ’08 is Marc. Marc has really improved leaps and bounds.

“Spain has a special place for all of us. They have a lot of NBA players, a very deep team. That’s the team we’d really like to play.”

Spain wasn’t very special in a 100-78 exhibition loss last week to the U.S. in front of a home crowd in Barcelona. Marc Gasol didn’t play that game, but it might not matter if they meet in the medal round. The U.S. looked too strong.

France would have been more interesting if Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah weren’t sitting out the Olympics because of an ankle injury. As it is, France still has familiar NBA names Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw.

Argentina has veteran NBA players Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola. Brazil has a physical presence with Nene and Anderson Varejao, not to mention Leandro Barbosa in the backcourt.

But the U.S. has so much more depth than anybody else. Backups Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Westbrook and Harden would start for any other country.

“We’ve been waiting for this for four years,” Paul said. “I remember being in the locker room after the gold-medal game in Beijing saying, ‘We’re going to do this again in four years,’ and it’s almost here.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan

Times staff writer Helene Elliott and Tribune staff writer K.C. Johnson contributed to this report.