An Eagle County judge will hear arguments today on whether court files in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case should be made public.

The files include details about the accusation, including statements by the accuser, and other information used to obtain arrest and search warrants.

Bryant, 24, is charged with felony sexual assault for an encounter with a 19-year-old woman June 30 at an Edwards, Colo., hotel. The Laker guard says he had consensual sex with the woman.

The Los Angeles Times and other media organizations have asked that the files be unsealed. Eagle County Dist. Atty. Mark Hurlbert attempted Wednesday to postpone the hearing, but Judge Frederick Gannett denied the motion.

In seeking the postponement, Hurlbert said "The media applicants are ambushing the people in this case in the lateness and size of their response."

Hurlbert said his fax machine had broken because of the volume of the response.

He also said his office did not have adequate time to review the media response.

In denying the motion, Gannett said the media response was not unusually large and pointed out that last week Hurlbert twice requested extra time to submit his brief outlining why the files should remain sealed.

The judge also denied a motion by Bryant's attorneys that television and still cameras be banned from the courtroom today. One television and one still camera will be allowed.

When Celtics boss Danny Ainge was courting free agent forward Karl Malone, he offered him good money, tried to sell him on the storied Celtics tradition, and stressed that Boston could be a great fit for him.

Malone listened carefully, then asked only one question.

"He wanted to know if No. 32 was retired," Ainge said. "I reminded him [Kevin] McHale wore that number. He said, `Oh. How do you think he'd feel about me wearing it?' "

Malone, who wore No. 32 his entire career with the Utah Jazz, ended up signing with the Lakers. Before he did, he talked with Magic Johnson about wearing his retired No. 32 Lakers jersey. That won't happen. Although Magic publicly offered the number to him (what else is he supposed to do?), Malone will wear No. 11, his number when he played for the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

The number on a uniform may seem trivial, but it is often one of the most important details to athletes embarking on an NBA career, or players in their prime, mulling over a move to a new team.

"It's a recruiting tool," Ainge said. "And we're at a big disadvantage."

No kidding. Imagine the Celtics' pitch: We love you, we want you, you can have any number you want -- except 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 32, 33, 35, or 00. That's 20 jerseys -- and counting. Former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell's No. 31 will be raised next.

"Athletes are superstitious," Ainge explained. "Numbers mean a lot. LeBron James has worn No. 23 his entire life, in honor of his idol, Michael Jordan. He's going to get to wear No. 23 in Cleveland, but if that number was retired, they might have had a problem."

An alleged sexual assault by Los Angeles Laker guard Kobe Bryant began consensually, but quickly turned otherwise, sources said Wednesday.

Sources said Bryant asked the alleged victim, a 19-year-old Eagle woman, for a tour of the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, which ended at his room, and that he invited her in.

Sources said that after she was inside they started "fooling around," and that it began consensually, but she quickly told him to stop.

"She was trying to leave and was not allowed to leave," one source told the Daily.

About 20 minutes later, the alleged victim returned to the hotel lobby in a shocked stupor, showing signs of physical injury, sources said. Bryant showed up in the lobby later that night to play chess, sources said.

The Jazz announced their schedule for next season's other 81 games on Tuesday, too. But that's the date that most Jazz fans will be anticipating for the next 179 days.
   
Karl Malone, for 18 seasons the Jazz's signature player, returns to the Delta Center that January night wearing a Lakers uniform. The teams' first meeting is Dec. 7 in Los Angeles, and they have two March dates (the 8th in Salt Lake, the 28th in L.A.), but it's probably safe to expect the Mailman hype to crescendo on that Saturday evening.

Jan. 24.

The Jazz announced their schedule for next season's other 81 games on Tuesday, too. But that's the date that most Jazz fans will be anticipating for the next 179 days.

Karl Malone, for 18 seasons the Jazz's signature player, returns to the Delta Center that January night wearing a Lakers uniform. The teams' first meeting is Dec. 7 in Los Angeles, and they have two March dates (the 8th in Salt Lake, the 28th in L.A.), but it's probably safe to expect the Mailman hype to crescendo on that Saturday evening.

"In some ways, I'm looking forward to it," owner Larry Miller said earlier this month, when Malone made his departure via free agency official. "But ask me again when that day gets near."

Speaking of hype, Cavs rookie LaBron James will make his first Delta Center visit one week earlier, on Jan. 17.

Fans embittered by free agents who turned down Utah's money this summer might want to show up to greet Gilbert Arenas (with Washington on March 23), Andre Miller (with Denver on Jan. 20 and March 27), and Brad Miller (with Sacramento, a rematch of last season's playoff series, on Nov. 19 and Dec. 12). And Corey Maggette, who had agreed to play 41 games in the Delta Center next season, instead will appear just twice -- with the Clippers on Dec. 5 and Jan. 26.

The Jazz's schedule includes, after a one-year absence, their traditional marathon Eastern road trip just before Christmas. This one is a season-long six games, and it's as difficult as it is lengthy: Included are visits to all four of last season's Eastern Conference semifinalists.

An Eagle County judge Tuesday reassured reporters that an order he handed down restricting access to people involved in the Kobe Bryant case is a work in progress, but he added that some restrictions will certainly be necessary.

"It's a starting point," Gannett said, while adding that some restrictions will certainly be necessary. "The facilities that we operate under dictates some of what we can and cannot do.

"We're trying to find a balance between reporting, privacy and safety."

Gannett's order includess restrictions from naming the alleged victim, interviewing witnesses, and conducting any other interviews within the courthouse.

In fact, the ruling restricts access to just about everyone involved with the trial, except Bryant himself. He is not named in any of the restrictions.

The ruling created no small amount of grumbling and protesting from media gathered in Eagle to cover the story, and around the country.

Manny Medrano, a legal reporter with KNBC of Los Angeles, said that if the rules stand as they were handed down Tuesday, they'd be the most restrictive he has seen in 10 years of covering high profile court cases.

Vince Carter is joining the United States Olympic basketball team with the full blessing of his employers.

"I think it's great," Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald said yesterday after Carter was named as a replacement for Kobe Bryant on the U.S. team for an Olympic qualification tournament in Puerto Rico next month. "I think it'll be really good for him."

Carter, a star on the American team that won the 2000 Olympic gold medal, joins a dozen high-profile NBA all-stars on the team expected to easily grab one of three Games berths at the 10-country qualification tournament Aug. 20-31 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's been expected for weeks that Bryant would not be able to play this summer because of off-season operations on his shoulder and knee ? and he's also got an Aug. 6 court date in Colorado to deal with felony sexual assault charges.

Carter was unavailable yesterday but said he's "honoured" to rejoin the American team in a statement released by USA Basketball.

He will be with the team for an Aug. 10-18 training camp in New York and an exhibition game Aug. 15 against Puerto Rico before the qualifying tournament. The United States and Argentina, world championship silver medallists, are heavy favourites for two of the spots in the tournament, which includes Canada.

Among a new set of rumors swirling around the Kobe Bryant case is that a volley of death threats fired at the District Attorney's Office forced them to close the office Friday afternoon.

Not the case, said spokeswoman Krista Flannigan.

"The staff members were there, and they were conducting business,"said Flannigan.

While they have received threats and hundreds of angry phone calls, Flannigan said, the reason the doors were locked Friday and Monday was two-fold.

"First for security reasons," she said. "Second, so they could get some of their work done."

Horace Grant returned to the Lakers on Monday, completing a summer restoration project that renders them more talented, considerably deeper and much, much older.

Grant, who turned 38 this month, joins a revamped rotation that also features Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who last week turned 40 and 35, respectively.

As the Lakers welcomed back Grant, a member of their 2001 championship team, they parted ways with fan favorite Mark Madsen. The hyperactive young forward signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Grant's arrival brings the Lakers' roster to 14 players and effectively concludes their offseason work. Team officials plan to bring 19 players to training camp, but it is unlikely they will add anyone else of consequence.

Grant's return satisfies the Lakers' need for a backup center, a perennial hole that usually goes unfilled. The Lakers envision Grant playing 10-15 minutes a game as their primary backup at both center and power forward.

Coming this fall to a basketball arena near you: Mad Dog and the Mayor.

Continuing their blistering offseason pace, the Timberwolves added two role players to their roster Monday. The first is Mark Madsen, a 6-9, 245-pound power forward nicknamed "Mad Dog" for the intensity he brings to the court. The other is Fred Hoiberg, a 6-5 shooting guard who was so popular at Iowa State it was said he could run for mayor.

The two signings -- Madsen for two years, Hoiberg for one -- continue the restructuring of the Wolves roster, one that will bear slight resemblance to last season's. It is possible that when the Wolves go to camp they'll have only three players -- Kevin Garnett, Wally Szczerbiak and Troy Hudson -- from last season.

The Wolves have traded for Sam Cassell, Ervin Johnson and, most recently, Latrell Sprewell. They have signed center Michael Olowakandi.

Monday's signings added grit and intangibles to that new collection of stars, especially in the case of Madsen.

He was a role player for the Lakers on two NBA title teams and established a reputation as a player willing to do a lot of the little things that don't appear in a boxscore.

"He has character and he has toughness," said Kevin McHale, Wolves vice president of basketball operations. In Madsen, McHale has added another player willing to take issue with anyone attempting to drive down the lane. "He'll put a body on you, be aggressive. He's a big, strong guy, which is something we wanted and needed."