LOS ANGELES (AP) Shaquille O'Neal does not yet know whether he'll play at the Athens Olympics, and his decision could be affected by how far the Los Angeles Lakers go in the playoffs.

Three spots remain open on the U.S. roster, and there could be a fourth if Kobe Bryant is unable to play because of his sexual assault trial in Colorado.

``I've done it twice, and I want to give other guys a chance to go,'' said O'Neal, a gold medalist on the 1996 Olympic team and the 1994 World Championship team.

The USA Basketball selection committee plans to meet in the next several weeks to begin the process of finalizing a roster that already includes Bryant, Jason Kidd, Karl Malone, Jermaine O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Mike Bibby, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and Ray Allen.

Kevin Garnett is a virtual lock for one of the open spots if he chooses to play, and Vince Carter and Elton Brand are expected to make the team after performing well at a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico last summer.

O'Neal's presence would give the Americans a true center, allowing Duncan and Jermaine O'Neal to play their natural position _ power forward. If Shaquille O'Neal declines to play, All-Star Brad Miller would likely receive serious consideration, USA basketball officials have indicated.

The U.S. team opens training camp July 26 and will likely play six exhibition games, including one against defending world champion Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia) in Belgrade.

Olympic competition runs from Aug. 15-28, meaning O'Neal would have to commit more than seven weeks of his time to the national team.

``I think it is very, very burdensome. It depends how far we go in the season,'' O'Neal said in an interview at the Nestle pavilion at NBA Jam Session. ``I have to consult with my family and consult with my friends. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.''

American teams have gone 109-2 in Olympic play, although the 2002 national team lost three times at the World championship in Indianapolis.

``That team kind of messed up our perfect record, so now we've got to go back there and prove we're the dominant force in basketball,'' O'Neal said, acknowledging that the level of competition has improved tremendously since his last trip to the Olympics.

``Those guys are professionals over there, they've played together since the young tender age of probably 9 or 10, so they have what it takes. We invented the game, we mastered the game, so now we have to prove our dominance.''