How much will Kobe Bryant play in All-Star game?

Kobe Bryant will play in the All-Star game. That much is known.

How many minutes he plays is the great unknown.

“He’ll want to win the MVP award,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

The banged-up Bryant has encountered numerous injuries this season, most recently a sprained left ankle.

This will be his 12th All-Star game.

He won the MVP award in 2002 and 2007, and was co-MVP last year in Phoenix with Shaquille O’Neal.

The All-Star game is Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Jackson said there were three things Bryant could tell Denver’s George Karl, the coach of the Western Conference All-Stars.

“Any time I’ve coached the All-Star game, I always ask the players, ‘How many guys are 100% healthy and want to play through this thing in a regular rotation? How many guys have nagging injuries and want to go limited minutes? And how many guys just want to make an appearance?’ ” Jackson said.

“I’ve had all three categories, where guys say, ‘I probably should get out there, but one rotation, six minutes is fine,’ or ‘I’m not doing well, I’ve got a bad ankle, whatever.’ So you give them the option of what their health status is.”

Denver is in second place behind the Lakers in the West, leading a reporter to ask whether Karl will play Bryant all 48 minutes in the All-Star game.

“If we were playing them Tuesday after the All-Star game I would,” Karl said, smiling.

The Lakers play Golden State the Tuesday after All-Star weekend.

Bad driving

The Nuggets arrived almost 30 minutes late to Staples Center for Friday’s game against the Lakers because of rain that slowed them down from their hotel in Marina del Rey.

“Lakers fans can’t drive in the rain,” Karl said. “That’s the second time in the last year we’ve had this problem.”

Karl was referring to Denver’s bus catching on fire on the freeway while the Nuggets were headed to Staples Center to play the Lakers in the 2008 Western playoffs.

Clipped

The Lakers’ down-the-hall neighbors made a coaching change, which didn’t surprise Jackson.

“There’s been rumors about it for some time,” Jackson said after the Clippers’ Mike Dunleavy resigned. “He’s done a great job with that team, he’s kind of built respectability back in their game, but I’m not surprised.”

Will it be a coveted job?

“They’ve developed some talent,” Jackson said. “They’ve got some talent that’s undeveloped in Blake [Griffin], who hasn’t played yet. I’m sure a lot of coaches look at it with an envious eye.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.