Bryant Can’t Defend Title

The winner and always champion?

Kobe Bryant doesn’t think so, and he certainly doesn’t hope so. He still has enough acrobatic maneuvers in mind to fill the next 15 all-star weekends and figures the NBA’s decision to end the dunk contests will be temporary, but until further notice he will have to stand as the final winner.

“I won’t be able to put them on display or anything like that,” he said Tuesday. “Unless I get a breakaway.”

The dunk that catapulted him to the title, the between-the-leg move last season in February? Bryant said he did it a few times during games in high school. Problem is, some of the other pyrotechnics he might have in mind, but won’t divulge, can’t be done in games because they might involve props.

“Will it be back?” he said. “I don’t know. Hopefully. I’m not going to be the last dunk champion.”

TONIGHT at Chicago

* 5 PST

* Channel 9

Site--United Center.

Radio--KLAC 570.

Records--Lakers 18-5, Bulls 14-9.

Record vs. Bulls (1996-97 season)--1-1.

Update--Laker players and Coach Del Harris have gone out of their way to dismiss the revenge factor in their first visit to the United Center since the collapse of last season, when they had a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter over the Bulls and lost in overtime. “Not on our minds at all,” Nick Van Exel said.