A year ago, O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love were incoming college freshmen, eager to enroll in their classes and learn their respective offenses at USC and UCLA.

This week, the two local stars are in Las Vegas as members of the Select team that is practicing against the USA Team, helping them prepare for the Beijing Olympics.

Mayo and Love have been practicing against such NBA stars as Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Miami’s Dewayne Wade, LeBron James of Cleveland and Utah’s Carlos Boozer.

“I didn’t have a clue (that this would ever happen),” said Mayo, a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies. “It’s a good learning experience, a good opportunity to play against the Olympic team.”

Love, a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves, said he’s still pinching himself since the draft.

“A year and a month ago, I was removed from high school, moving down to L.A., playing against college and high school guys and now I’m playing against some of the best players in the world.”

Love’s whirlwind summer came to an abrupt halt Monday night when he headed home after injuring his ankle.

Phil Jackson and Mitch Kupchak are searching the countryside for someone to raise the toughness level on the Lakers next season.

Should they be looking in Los Angeles? How about Candace “Sugar Ray” Parker?

What happened to all those Ron Artest-to-the-Lakers rumors? They’ve floated to Detroit, where the Pistons now are exploring a trade with Sacramento for the mercurial foward.

In place of the Artest talk, the Lakers now are rumored to have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng, if the Chicago forward can’t settle on a contract extension with the Bulls.

Deng’s camp reportedly has made it clear that negotiations won’t continue past early August. Stay tuned.

LAS VEGAS

LeBron James laid flat out on the trainer’s table, ice bags strapped to both knees and a wrap on his right ankle and foot. When he got up and tried to walk, he was understandably wobbly.

His knees weren’t the problem. James suffered a mild ankle sprain Tuesday during Team USA’s practice for the upcoming Olympic Games. The Cleveland star landed on Kevin Durant’s foot during a scrimmage between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players.

James left Valley High without talking to reporters.

LOVE ALSO GONE

Former UCLA star Kevin Love left Las Vegas on Monday night after injurying his right ankle during the afternoon practice. He said he rolled his ankle twice within minutes.

Love, a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves, missed the final Summer League game last Sunday because of an Achilles tendon injury. The team said the injury wasn’t serious and the move was precautionary.

A recent poll by Harris Interactive (they’re big in the polling business) shows that while Tiger Woods is the most popular athlete in the U.S. and Canada, Kobe Bryant disappears from the Canadian list.

In America, the country that doesn’t say “eh” in every sentence, Kobe is the 4th most popular athlete. In Canada, the country that wishes it could be more like America, Kobe isn’t in the top 10. What is up Canadians? NBA MVP Kobe is less popular than a couple of hockey players named Mats Sundin and Daniel Alfredsson (or is that Alfred Danielsson?) (And why do they have two esses in the middle of their names?)

Of course, some people appreciate the finer points of hockey more than basketball. 

Canada, you’d better watch out, Kobe plays against your ear-flap wearing team on Friday.

The Yao Ming Foundation is making it possible for two lucky raffle winners to attend the China-U.S. basketball game at the Olympics — all expenses paid.

Imagine seeing Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, et al take on Yao Ming in China, where Yao is as popular as green tea. Could be raucous.

The foundation is organizing a raffle that proceeds the Yao Ming Foundation, which supports the rebuilding of safe schools in China after the recent earthquake. Check out Netraffle.com for details.

Kobe Bryant told Janis Carr that Team USA winning a gold medal is more important than the Lakers winning an NBA title. Do you agree?

As a businessman, Kobe Bryant understands why the Lakers let Ronny Turiaf walk. The popular forward, a restricted free agent, had received a four-year, $17 million offer sheet from the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers decided not to match it.

But as a teammate and basketball player, he thought the decision stunk.

“I’m sad about it. I wish we could have kept him,” Bryant said. “I love him as a person. I love him as a basketball player and I hate to see him leave. I just wish him all the best.

“He would much rather have stayed with us, but that’s the nature of the NBA, man.”

Now, Bryant is waiting to see what happens with the Lakers’ second restricted free agent, Sasha Vujacic. The Lakers have offered a one-year, $2.6 million qualifying offer, but have yet to hear back from Vujacic or his agent, Rob Pelinka.

“I’m optimistic that we can re-sign Sasha,” Kobe Bryant said. “We definitely should. He’s turned into a fantastic player for us and I would hate to see us lose two of our key guys off the bench.”

That’s life in the NBA, man.

The Lakers held their annual tryouts this weekend. Click here to see the photos.

Here, two miles from the glitz of the Strip and down the street from Sabaro Insurance and a 7-Eleven in a nondesript high school gym, some of the world’s most famous athletes are preparing to take on the basketball world next month.

Kobe Bryant. LeBron James and the rest of U.S. National basketball team gathered Monday at West Valley High (home of the Vikings) to start their preparations for the upcoming Beijing Games. They are scheduled to practice every day and play the Canadian National team on Friday at Thomas & Mack Center.

No matter how remote the location or the near 100 degrees, approximately 50 people found their way to the school and sat under trees waiting for glimpse of the NBA stars, perhaps even an autograph.

Other team members are Carlos Boozer, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, Michael Redd and Deron Williams.

Check back for more notes and updates throughout the week.