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NBA roundup: Bryant, Nash join Lakers for first practice
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant practiced Tuesday for the first time since his knee injury 10 months ago and said he felt good afterward.
“I felt normal. I felt like myself,” Bryant said. “That’s a good thing.”
The Lakers opened their first training camp with Byron Scott as coach. He took over during the offseason after the team parted with Mike D’Antoni.
Bryant was on the floor for about two hours and 15 minutes before watching the final 45 minutes with fellow veteran Steve Nash, who also has battled injury issues the past few years. Both players came through the first practice session without any problems. When two-a-days begin Wednesday, Bryant and Nash will participate in the morning practice only while Scott monitors their minutes.
—Miami Heat center Justin Hamilton is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks after undergoing a procedure Monday to repair an atrial flutter.
Hamilton was sent to the hospital after experiencing light-headedness during practice. He will begin non-contact exercises in approximately three weeks before being evaluated for a return to practice, and is expected to make a full recovery.
A second-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012, Anderson was traded to the Heat for the rights to Arnett Moultrie. Anderson spent the 2012-13 season in Croatia and Latvia before returning to sign with the Heat in September 2013. He was waived in October and went on to become a Futures All-Star with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Hamilton signed a 10-day contract with Charlotte on March 4 before being signed for the rest of the season by the Heat on March 14 and averaging 3.7 points in seven games. The 24-year-old is expected to compete for a spot in the rotation as a reserve to Chris Bosh.
—The Denver Nuggets signed forwards Jerrelle Benimon, Alonzo Gee, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Marcus Williams on Tuesday.
Benimon, an undrafted free agent, played for the Miami Heat in the Orlando Summer League and for the Nuggets in the Las Vegas Summer League. He had averages of 10.7 points and 11.3 rebounds. Gee has 277 NBA games under his belt with the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards. He averages 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 rebounds per game.
Mensah-Bonsu has spent four years in the NBA. In 62 career games for New Orleans, Toronto, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, he is averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. Williams spent the past three seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association. His NBA experience includes 13 career NBA games with the Spurs and the Los Ageles Clippers.
