Although Kobe Bryant is expected to attend the Lakers' media day on Monday, his spokesperson Catherine Sebring declined comment when asked about his plans, lending a bit of intrigue.

"Without mentioning specific names, appropriate people in our organization have been in contact with Kobe, and we have no reason to believe he won't be in Hawaii for training camp," team spokesman John Black said.

A posting Friday on Bryant's Web site indicated the 29-year-old will be at camp.

"The countdown to tipoff is on," it began. "Summer is gone, fall is upon us and that can mean only one thing: NBA training camps are just around the corner. While some teams are holding their media days today, the Lakers will invite the media to their practice facility on Monday and will depart shortly after for training camp in Hawaii.

"kb24.com will be at media day to bring you the sights and sounds as the team prepares to kick off the 2007-2008 season."

After demanding that the Lakers trade him in May and pointedly refusing to take it back in July and August, Kobe Bryant is back in touch with the club and planning to attend Monday's media session.

"I have no reason to think he won't report," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday.

"I communicate with Kobe. We've met. We talk on the phone, text [message], all of these things within the last month and very recently."

Shawn Marion wants out of Phoenix and is interested in becoming a member of the Lakers.

"I'm definitely interested in the Lakers," said Marion.

He also said he talked to Kobe Bryant, and Bryant "embraced it."

Said Marion: "He wants to make it happen."

If Bryant cares about what trades the Lakers make and thinks adding Marion would help, at least it's an indication that he's thinking about the Lakers as "we" not "them."

There was harsh criticism from Kobe Bryant directed at Andrew Bynum this summer, and constant trade rumors involving the Lakers' young center. Bynum had to endure stinging words and the disfavor of those among the Lakers faithful who wanted him sent packing. He had his coaching staff, team management and teammates to appease.

But Bynum said he kept his focus on working to improve. His approach was to delve into the positives and not worry about the negatives.

"Hopefully, I can just go out there and play well this season and have all those (critical) people eventually become my fans," Bynum said softly in his first extensive interview of the summer. "I know that I've got to prove that I'm worth them holding off trading me."

Bynum's first big step in that mission could be winning a starting job. He got a taste of it last season, and the two teammates he's competing with, veterans Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm, both are returning from injuries.

After eight years in Phoenix, Shawn Marion wants to leave the Suns and has let the team know in recent weeks.

"I'm tired of hearing my name in trades," Marion said by phone from his Chicago home Tuesday night. "I love my fans in Phoenix but I think it's time for me to move on."

There are two known trade suitors in the Utah Jazz (for Andrei Kirilenko, if not others) and the Los Angeles Lakers (for Lamar Odom and a teammate), with Marion showing an interest in the latter because of a friendship with Kobe Bryant.

"Regardless of everything that went on with the extension, I'm tired of hearing my name in trade rumors," Marion said. "It's time for me to move on. I felt like they tried to force my hand to Boston with the (Kevin) Garnett stuff."

In June, there was the possibility of a three-way trade sending Garnett to Phoenix, a Boston pick package going to Minnesota and Marion to Boston with a contract extension but the Marion camp killed it.

"I haven't done anything wrong," said Marion, a four-time All-Star. "I leave it on the floor night in and night out. Sometimes, it's just time, and it's time to go. "It's been like a nightmare. It hurts me making this phone call. It's hurting me in my stomach."

In one week, the Lakers reconvene for the 2007-2008 NBA season having not traded Kobe Bryant, as he sought, or traded for proven talent to help Bryant, which was his initial offseason request. Bryant's disenchantment with the Lakers led to some speculation he would not report to training camp.

"We have no reason to believe that he won't be there," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Bryant has steered clear of the Lakers' workout facility in El Segundo in recent months, spending considerable time out of town first with USA Basketball in Las Vegas and then on a promotional tour of Asia.

According to several Suns sources, Shawn Marion seems to be unhappy that the team will not talk about a contract extension.

Apparently Marion wants $60 million over three years. Marion, already the highest-paid Suns player, will make $16.4 million this season and $17.8 million for 2008-09.

Trade rumors might not bother Marion much anymore, because there are indications that he would welcome a deal.

The two top trade possibilities involve Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is even more disgruntled with his team, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom and a teammate, possibly forward Brian Cook.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent forward Elton Brown, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Brown, a 6-9 forward out of the University of Virginia, finished 20th on Virginia?s all-time scoring list with 1,356 points and 13th on the all-time rebounding list with 660 rebounds.

The bond between Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant appears to be as tight as ever.

"Kobe and I are very much in collusion in that we want to have an opportunity and we want this team to have an opportunity to succeed," Phil said. "And one of Kobe's complaints is to improve the talent and give him the teammates he can compete with. I'm in collusion with him on that."

Phil Jackson learned to coach from Red Holzman, and he practiced the craft on Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

"Who could have been more fortunate than I am, to have stumbled into this success?" Jackson said Friday night in his induction speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jackson won nine NBA championships as a coach -- tying Red Auerbach for the record -- and one more as a player. But it was with the Knicks in their championship season of 1969-70, when Jackson was recovering from spinal fusion surgery, that he found his future calling.

Soaking up knowledge from his Hall of Fame mentor, Jackson developed the approach that allowed him to integrate lesser talents into a team with stars like Jordan and O'Neal.

"He treated the superstars and the role players in very much the same manner," said the Lakers' coach, who was using a cane because of offseason surgery to replace his left hip. "Everybody has to be treated with respect. But everybody has to be treated as individuals."

Jackson was inducted into the Springfield shrine on Friday night along with UNC coach Roy Williams; the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team; four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor; former NBA referee Mendy Rudolph; and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.