The Los Angeles Lakers met on Wednesday, and yes, Kobe Bryant was in the building.
As usual, the majority of Lakers coach Byron Scott's time with the press involved talking about the plan to preserve Bryant. The 36-year-old shot a lowly 3-19 from the field in an ugly game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, but the coach said he would not yet consider shutting down the 19-year veteran.
"As of right now, [Bryant] will play tomorrow [against Cleveland]," Scott said after practice wrapped up.
"[Bryant] wants to play if we're losing or winning. He wants to play. He wants to be a part of that," Scott said when explaining how difficult it was for the superstar to sit down and allow his coach to make the decisions.
The coach said the challenge of keeping Bryant in rhythm while harnessing the player's competitive fire had been tough for both the player and the coach.
"Kobe is definitely our leader," Lakers center Jordan Hill said on Wednesday.
Hill, who hyperextended his left knee during Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat, spoke with reporters and offered a positive face on an injury that looked bad at first glance. Hill said the training staff seemed relieved that nothing worse had happened, and he felt the same way.
"It was [scary]," Hill said on Wednesday.
The Lakers' big man said he felt soreness in the back of his knee, but he still hoped to play on Thursday.
In the locker room, Hill is one of Nick Young's closest teammates, and so, the Lakers' big man offered insight into Young's recent scoring slump.
"[Young]'s definitely a player we need. He knows that," Hill said.
Hill said he had noticed that Young was a little down and said that the recent shooting slump had affected the shooting guard's game. In particular, Hill thought Young had started to settle for open shots and facilitating rather than aggressively creating his own shots in his trademark fashion.
At practice, Young held open a copy of Sports Illustrated with a two-page spread featuring the title: "Swagg P."
"I needed this. This is nice. I needed something to get my swag back," Young said smiling with the magazine in hand. "Like I said, I'm a star in the making. I still believe that. I've had a couple bad days, but I'm going to be all right."
Young added, "The photos is dope [sic]. I needed to see myself looking good again. Like I always say, 'You look good, you play good.' I've been looking ugly."
Notes: Ronnie Price had an MRI on his elbow and also got hit in the face.
