Kobe Bryant, suffering from a stomach ailment, skips Lakers’ shootaround

DENVER — Kobe Bryant did not attend the Lakers’ morning shootaround because of a stomach ailment. The Lakers said they would update Bryant’s condition 90 minutes before tonight’s tipoff of Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers lead the best-of-7 Western Conference quarterfinal series 3-2. Bryant leads the Lakers with an average of 31.2 points during the series and is coming off a 43-point game during the Lakers’ loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday at Staples Center.

Bryant came down with food poisoning after eating a room service meal of a cheeseburger and cheesecake the night before Game 2 of the Lakers’ 2002 conference finals series against the Sacramento Kings.

“He was doubled over like a shrimp,” Lakers athletic trainer Gary Vitti said rather famously at the time.

Bryant played in the game, but the Lakers lost en route to a seven-game victory over the Kings they used as a springboard to their third consecutive title.