Lakers' Brown won't be included on road trip

Coach Phil Jackson changed his mind. He said Sunday he would not take injured center Kwame Brown on the Los Angeles Lakers' four-game trip that starts Tuesday in Chicago.

It was news to Kwame Brown, who went into a mock rage.

"Hell, yeah, I want to go," Kwame Brown said. "I'll inbound the ball. Just let me go."

Kwame Brown suffered sprains to his left knee and ankle in the opening minutes of the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 18. Kwame Brown was expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks. He sat out his 14th game Sunday.

If he can't talk Jackson into taking him along for the Los Angeles Lakers' trip, Kwame Brown will stay behind to work out with Chip Schaefer, one of the Los Angeles Lakers' physiologists. It was not an encouraging prospect.

"Usually, Chip stays back with the guys who aren't going on the trip, but you don't want to stay back with Chip," Kwame Brown said. "It's no fun. Whatever part of your body that's not hurting, you will hurt."

Adopting a more serious tone, Kwame Brown said another week of therapy would do him good. His knee and ankle are improved and it's possible he could play soon, but he and the Los Angeles Lakers want to get him back in the lineup to stay.

"It's like right there," Kwame Brown said. "I can go straight ahead. Slowing down is a problem. When I have to react real quickly, my knee tends to give out a little. My ankle is a little better. Some days the ankle feels great. Some days it swells up.

"Two days ago, we stopped doing the side-to-side stuff. We were doing the straight-ahead stuff and I got better. I can probably go out there and try to play, but then I'll be in and out and hurt myself again."

Kwame Brown was averaging 4.3 points and 5.0 rebounds when he was injured. Andrew Bynum, who was averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds going into Sunday's game against the Clippers, has replaced him as the Los Angeles Lakers' starting center.

Kobe Bryant plays: Kobe Bryant was on the floor shooting jump shots when Jackson arrived at the team's practice facility at 9 a.m. Sunday. After asking Kobe Bryant to make some lateral moves to test Kobe Bryant's strained left groin, Jackson seemed satisfied that the guard could play.

Kobe Bryant was injured midway through the fourth quarter of Friday's loss to the Golden State Warriors and had to sit out the game's final 1:27.

"He looked to be moving OK," Jackson said of watching Kobe Bryant at the Los Angeles Lakers' shootaround. "He seems to be all right. We're surprised. Pleasantly.

"If he can help the team because of the presence he has out there, then it's all right. If it becomes a deficit for us, then you have to change. The other night he wasn't shooting great, but he was able to use a couple of screens to get (Derek) Fisher free."

Kobe Bryant has yet to sit out a game this season. He played Dec. 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves despite coming down with a case of food poisoning.

Shaw medical update: Assistant coach Brian Shaw, who underwent eye surgery Tuesday, returned to the Los Angeles Lakers' bench on Sunday. He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes.

See more at www.presstelegram.com