Will Bryant be in camp?

That conscious decision Kobe Bryant made to forget he was a Laker? It did help him survive and even enjoy the rest of his summer, but the time has just about come for him to remember.

In one week, the Lakers reconvene for the next NBA season having not traded Kobe Bryant, as he sought, or traded for proven talent to help Kobe Bryant, which was his initial offseason request. Kobe Bryant's disenchantment with the Los Angeles Lakers led to some speculation he would not report to training camp.

"We have no reason to believe that he won't be there," Los Angeles Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Kobe Bryant has steered clear of the Los Angeles Lakers' workout facility in El Segundo in recent months, spending considerable time out of town first with USA Basketball in Las Vegas and then on a promotional tour of Asia.

He has scheduled a time to show up for his Los Angeles Lakers pre-camp physical examination, however, furthering belief from the organization that Kobe Bryant will maintain a professional approach to start the season. The Los Angeles Lakers are set to gather Oct. 1 for a 1 p.m. team flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, where they will train through Oct. 11.

Besides the lack of substantial roster upgrades, Kobe Bryant returns to find his most talented Los Angeles Lakers teammate still not healthy.

Lamar Odom is behind schedule in recovering from shoulder surgery, will be limited in training camp and might not be ready for the Oct. 30 start of the regular season.

Odom postponed surgery last season to play the Los Angeles Lakers' final 23 games. Then he had the tear in his labrum in his left (shooting) shoulder repaired May 15.

The Los Angeles Lakers hoped he would be ready in time for the start of camp, but the rehabilitation has been a slow process. Odom also had surgery in 2004 for a separate labrum tear in that shoulder.

Kwame Brown is recovering well from his shoulder and ankle surgeries and has already been going full speed on the court, albeit with some discomfort.

Fellow center Chris Mihm, who missed all of last season after ankle surgery, is also not yet 100 percent but has no limitations.

Coach Phil Jackson's recovery from having his left hip replaced is going slower than last year's right-hip procedure.

As he enters the final season of his three-year, $30 million contract, Jackson is still using a cane, though he has upgraded to a hand-carved wooden one that was a gift from girlfriend Jeanie Buss.

Jackson, 62, has been offered a two-year contract extension by the Los Angeles Lakers at about the same $10 million annual salary, although details won't be negotiated until Jackson decides he is interested in re-signing.

He is holding off so he can better gauge his health and the future direction of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Both Jackson and Kobe Bryant wanted roster changes over the summer to give them an immediate chance to win a championship, but the club's biggest moves didn't make big headlines.

They re-signed Luke Walton and Mihm, and added Derek Fisher.

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