Kobe Bryant fond of warm Vegas memories

Justin M. Bowen

Kobe Bryant of the Lakers lays in two of his nine points Sunday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 94-89 in a preseason contest on the UNLV campus.

By Rob Miech (contact)

Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Kobe Bryant shivered and shook as he left the showers inside a locker room across from the Cox Pavilion practice gym late Sunday night after Los Angeles defeated Sacramento in an NBA preseason game in the nearby Thomas & Mack Center.

“What the … ” he said, with multiple towels around himself. “Oh … ”

One of professional basketball’s most cold-hearted shooters, Bryant received the warmest response inside the Thomas & Mack Center.

He remembered even warmer times here not so long ago.

“It’s not as hot as I’m used to it being in Vegas,” Bryant said. “It’s not as warm as when I was last here. Still, it’s good to be here.”

Indeed, this is where Bryant expanded his game over the past two summers and enhanced his image as a global icon.

This is where he helped Team USA thrash of all comers in the FIBA Americas Championship during the summer of 2007. That qualified the Americans for the Olympics in China.

The U.S. returned to train in Las Vegas this past summer, and it dismantled Canada in its last tune-up on American soil before heading to Beijing.

Team USA rolled to the final, winning the gold medal in a tenacious 118-107 victory over Spain. Bryant converted a rare four-point play in the final minutes.

“We had our chances,” said Spanish center Pau Gasol, Bryant’s teammate on the Lakers. “It was a special game. We played them in the group stage, but that was a totally different game than the final.

“He adapted to a different role, as more of a defender. He didn’t shoot as much as he does here. What impressed me was, he adjusted. Still, at the end of games, he showed up.”

Gasol said Bryant told him he was going to leave his gold medal in Gasol’s locker, to tease Gasol, this preseason during camp in El Segundo, Calif.

Bryant didn’t follow through with the threat.

“He’s a little bit of a trash talker,” Gasol said. “That’s fine. I complimented him because he did a good job. He deserved that gold medal. They played well all tournament.”

The Lakers dismissed Sacramento, 94-89, in a sloppy exhibition game in which anyone on the Thomas & Mack Center court in the final two minutes will be fortunate to make his squad.

Bryant didn’t do much. He slipped trying to defend an average player. He put up a wild fling. He missed a dunk.

But he followed that miscue with a strong, two-handed jam on the next possession.

What did it all mean? Bryant summed it up perfectly when someone actually queried him about Lamar Odom having a breakthrough game against the Kings.

“It’s preseason, man,” Bryant said. “Who the hell cares? Everyone knows Lamar will be there. Nobody’s tripping.”

Bryant will be there for the Lakers because he is delaying surgery on his right pinkie finger until after this season.

He sustained ligament damage to the finger in a February game, and he played through the NBA Finals and the Olympics. He delayed surgery because the recovery time would have forced him to miss camp.

And utterly meaningless games like Sunday’s in Las Vegas.

“I think it’s a smart move for him,” Gasol said. “We want him healthy. We want him to play with us because he’s a huge part of our team. I think he made the right decision.

“It’s not a major injury. He can still play at a high percentage. Hopefully, he doesn’t jam it again.”

Bryant confirmed that the finger is broken, too. But, on a pain scale from 1 to 10, he said it’s about a 2.

“If I hit it, it hurts a little bit,” he said. “Other than that, I don’t feel it. I don’t think about it. I’m just letting it go.”

He has visited Las Vegas so frequently in recent summers he said he might purchase a home here.

“It’s a hop, skip and a jump for me,” Bryant said. “It’s right down the street.”

He said Lakers fans can expect the team to play high-octane offense, and it will strive to be one of the premier defensive teams in the league this season.

As for beyond that, Bryant eventually will have finger surgery. And the 2012 Olympics in London might be calling.

“If I’m asked, oh hell yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I’ll tell you, man. We had so much fun on that team.”

Next time Kobe Bryant visits Las Vegas, though, could someone please turn on the hot water?