The Los Angeles Lakers have claimed Tarik Black off waivers and waived Xavier Henry.

Black played for the Houston Rockets this season.

Kobe Bryant will play on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns after missing the Los Angeles Lakers' past three games.

Bryant took three games off, including Christmas Day against the Chicago Bulls, due to rest.

Steve Nash showed up at the airport Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers left for their game against the Chicago Bulls to wish guys merry Christmas.

It marked Nash's first time back at a team function since being termed out for the season.

Marc Gasol admitted he is not particularly looking forward to free agency where he will likely be courted by the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and others.

"I've been already through one," he says of the summer of 2011, when as a restricted free agent he re-signed with the Grizzlies for $58 million over four years, "and I did not especially enjoy it. I don't know how I'm going to feel in July. I really don't. This is the next five years of my life and I'm going to go all in. Whatever team you play for, you've always got to feel like you represent that team, that you've got to play for it. Because that's the way we grew up in Spain. You play for the city. You play for a way of doing things. It's not about you. I do this for them. I play for the city, for the franchise or whatever. You've got to have that pride that comes with it."

The Memphis Grizzlies badly want to keep Gasol and Gasol has stated he wants to remain with the franchise.

"I'm pretty thankful for everything that happened," Gasol said.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors by the final score of 115-105 without Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers had seven players finish in double-figures, including 18 points for Carlos Boozer.

"Tell [Kobe] to take the backseat for a little bit," said Nick Young, who had 15 points. "He can be 'Driving Miss Daisy' and I can be Miss Daisy and drive."

The Boston Celtics had interest in acquiring Julius Randle from the Los Angeles in their trade discussions centered on Rajon Rondo. Randle is out for the season with a broken leg.

The Lakers have long sought to acquire Rondo from the Celtics.

Rondo was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Kobe Bryant shot 8 for 30 for 25 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Byron Scott said he is considering giving Bryant a rest for at least one game, and Bryant agreed with the likelihood.

"There's probably not much of an option … it might make sense," Bryant said. "It's fatigue and then just general soreness, joint soreness, body soreness."

Bryant, who had nine turnovers on Sunday, also seemed to wrestle with the idea of missing a game.

"I take a lot of pride in trying to play all 82, obviously," he said. "People come and spend their hard-earned money and come to watch us play, hoping I'm out there. I try to take that into account every single night."

Jeremy Lin had a diplomatic answer to Kobe Bryant's game-winner attempt in the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

"How many game winners has he hit like that?" Lin asked, referencing Bryant. "I'm obviously rooting for him to hit that shot. I thought it was a good look. It was a very, very hittable shot. That's just a matter of time before he starts hitting those game winners."

"I like game winners too. I would love to shoot some," Lin added. "But I get it. That guy is kind of the king of game winners. He's going to hit that shot. He'll figure it out. That's why he is who he is."

Bryant has now missed 12 consecutive potential tying or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, which ties for the longest such streak in his career.

"It was the shot I wanted to get," Bryant said. He also had eight assists and eight rebounds in 35 minutes.

"I was trying to figure out if I had time to draw contact. It just threw me off a little bit."

Kobe Bryant has been widely expected to retire when his current contract expires in 2016, but he was asked if the Los Angeles Lakers adding Kevin Durant or any other superstar player may cause him to reconsider.

"I don't know. Maybe," Bryant said. "But it's really my call, man. If I want to play, I'll play. If I don't, I don't. If I don't want to play anymore and go through the process of getting my body ready day in and day out, I'm not going to play." 

This week Durant said accusations of players not wanting to play with Bryant is ridiculous.

Said Bryant: "I greatly appreciate" Durant's comments.