Shaq’s Not Back in Time

Shaquille O’Neal was the lone Laker to miss practice Monday, less than a day after he played 26 minutes, some of them at point guard, at the All-Star game in Atlanta.

After Sunday night’s game, O’Neal told a Laker public relations employee to pass along his regrets to Laker management, but that he’d be in uniform by this morning’s shoot-around and again for tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets.

O’Neal accompanied his pregnant wife, Shaunie, to the doctor, according to a Laker official, though that was unconfirmed by O’Neal.

As of early Monday evening O’Neal had not contacted Coach Phil Jackson or General Manager Mitch Kupchak. While it was possible O’Neal would be fined for his absence, it did not appear Laker management was terribly upset.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal, to be honest with you,” Kupchak said. “I don’t consider it to be team-altering. Whatever Phil wants to do is OK with me.”

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O’Neal, to the Chicago Sun-Times, on the timing of his Sept. 11 surgery: “Since I suffered the injury on company time, why shouldn’t I also be able to get surgery and do recovery on company time? If a regular worker gets injured and sick on his job, do they force him to use his vacation time to have an operation and to get well? I shouldn’t have to spend the whole year on the job. I deserve to enjoy some vacation time too, especially since I’ve been working overtime winning championships.

“Nobody’s played more basketball than we have the last three years. So, if I had to do it over again, I would do exactly what I did. Why should I have been in a hurry to have an operation? The first doctors I talked to said I’d be out six to eight months rather than the 2 1/2 I was out.”

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Kobe Bryant said Monday that he had not reached an endorsement agreement with either Nike or Reebok. Bryant appears to be close to reaching a long-term deal to wear Nike shoes, though there were reports that negotiations with Reebok were ongoing.

Bryant this week was cleared to enter into an agreement to replace his former contract with Adidas, from which he extricated himself this summer for $8 million and several terms.

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TONIGHT

vs. Denver, 7:30, Fox Sports Net

Site -- Staples Center

Radio -- KLAC-AM (570), KWKW-AM (1330), KIRN (670)

Records -- Lakers 24-23, Nuggets 12-37.

Record vs. Nuggets -- 1-0.

Update -- Marcus Camby, who sprained his ankle in his first (and only) game of the season Jan. 17, is probable for tonight. He missed his first 38 games as a Nugget because of hip surgery, the last 10 because of the ankle. It’s not all bad, though; in the seven minutes he played, Camby had five points and three rebounds and the Nuggets won. The Lakers won in Denver, 112-93, on Dec. 28.