Bryant Set for Plenty of Minutes

The MCI Center floor was flooded with media waiting for this year’s NBA all-stars to arrive Saturday afternoon.

Once the players showed up, they walked in one after another. Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, Michael Finley and Chris Webber were among the first, but the media crowd hardly moved until the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant made an appearance.

As if he was the all-star of all-stars, Bryant held court and told reporters that his absence from Friday’s mandatory media session was not a big deal because he took the time to get treatment on his sore right shoulder.

“I had to take some time to get my shoulder right,” said Bryant, who arrived in town at 6 a.m. Saturday. “It worked out well. I was able to get my shoulder in position where I feel comfortable playing.”

That’s a good thing, because Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman, who will direct the Western Conference team in today’s 3:30 p.m. game, may not have a choice but to give heavy minutes to Bryant because he and Finley are the only shooting guards on the roster.

Even without the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal, the West is loaded with big men such as Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Antonio McDyess, Vlade Divac, Duncan, Robinson, Webber and Wallace. Plus, the team’s two point guards, Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, are not 100% because of nagging injuries.

“I haven’t talked to him yet, but I’ve heard that [Bryant] doesn’t want to play the minutes he normally plays,” Adelman said. “I don’t know what his normal minutes are, but if he is playing 44 minutes per game, maybe we’ll just play him 40.

“He played us a week ago and he didn’t look hurt to me. So I don’t even buy that. I don’t know how much I am going to play him but I didn’t see him limping around. He’s looked pretty good in every game he’s played.”

Bryant said it was his decision to skip Friday’s events.

“I accept the [$10,000] fine,” Bryant said. “[Coach Phil Jackson] told me to go out there and have a good time. . . . He said that he always has been against having his players go to the All-Star game because he would much rather have them rest and recuperate.”

With the Eastern Conference team featuring such versatile and athletic players as Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson, the West figures to have a strong size advantage. Especially with East centers Alonzo Mourning and Theo Ratliff not available.

“They have a lot of big guys who can play,” Milwaukee forward Glenn Robinson said. “But we all are here to play for the fun of it.”

Having the right mental approach for the game is almost as important as making an all-star team. With the league taking a beating for today’s players not measuring up to former NBA greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, all-stars such as Wallace and Iverson said it is simply time for everyone to move on.

“It’s just evolution,” Wallace said. “We have younger players coming in who are just starting to evolve. It’s going to take time for fans to get to know them better. Several years ago, when Doctor J, Magic and Kareem were playing, fans knew them because they had always seen them and felt closer to them.

“The majority of players today like their privacy, including myself. I know I like my privacy. I don’t do interviews at my home or whatever. I have my own separate world. . . . It’s really up to the individual player, but you cannot make people into something they are not.”

Added Iverson: “We will always struggle if we try to be like Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. All we can be is ourselves. That’s just the way it is. Nobody can fill their shoes. We have to have our own identities.”