Phil Jackson gave three-fifths of his starting lineup a break from today’s morning workout. Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol sat on the sidelines while their teammates went through the first of two practices. Jackson is determined to give Bryant and Gasol, in particular, extra rest after their hectic summers with their respective Olympic teams.
Bryant and Team USA defeated Gasol and Spain for the gold medal in Beijing.
In addition, Sun Yue (mono) started the morning practice, but had to sit down after participating in the first few drills. Sasha Vujacic (sprained left ankle) returned to practice after sitting out for three days. Sunday marks the end of two-a-day practices.