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Kobe decides he needs rest - Jim Alexander

PORTLAND, ORE. - Early Saturday evening, Phil Jackson was asked if he even bothered asking Kobe Bryant how he felt these days, the premise being that even if Bryant were dragging one leg behind him, he'd say he was fine.

"I've talked to him about some of the issues," Jackson said. "But I haven't talked to him about not playing or playing."

Evidently, Bryant decided to bring the subject up himself.

About 20 minutes after Jackson was asked that question in the pregame media scrum, a team spokesman confirmed that Bryant was among the Lakers' inactives for Saturday night's game, ending a streak of 235 straight games played.

"I went back into the locker room (after that pre-game interview) and saw the guys in the training room," Jackson said after the game. "Kobe followed me into the coaches' room and said he was thinking about not playing. I said, 'It's OK if you don't   Read Full Article...