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NBA News: Bryant, Nash join Lakers for first practice

The Sports Xchange

September 30, 2014 at 7:53 pm.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant. (Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports)

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.

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