<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe Bryant spent Tuesday in Las Vegas on a rehabilitation assignment. Not so much for his surgically repaired left knee as for his image. The Los Angeles Lakers' 10-year veteran star guard, who turns 28 today, is still trying to rebuild his reputation nearly two years after his sexual assault case was dismissed by a Colorado judge. In July 2003, Bryant had been accused of assaulting a female employee at a resort in Eagle, Colo. The criminal charge cost him millions of dollars in endorsements, and his image was likened to that of O.J. Simpson. But since he had his case dismissed in September 2004, Bryant slowly has been rebuilding his image. Part of that rebuilding has included participating in clinics such as the one Tuesday at Durango High School, where 85 high school-age players got a special basketball tutoring session from the NBA's leading scorer last season. "What I'm trying to do is pass on my knowledge to the kids," Bryant said at the Nike-sponsored event. Bryant participated in similar events this summer in Los Angeles and his hometown of Philadelphia. Bryant said he didn't think what he was doing in Las Vegas on Tuesday was designed to boost his image, but he admitted it can't hurt. "Everyone goes through something in life," he said. "We all have our trials and tribulations. I'm just trying to push through them and overcome them." Bryant's reputation hasn't improved overnight. It has been more of an ongoing process. The fact he was chosen to be in the player pool for Team USA was a big step toward restoring his credibility with sponsors. Nike, for one, has stayed loyal to Bryant. Bryant's No. 8 Lakers jersey is among the top 25 best-sellers. Still, despite Bryant leading the league in scoring and being named to Team USA, McDonald's and Coca-Cola -- two major firms aligned with him before the case -- have not brought him back. Bryant had surgery on his left knee before Team USA's recent training camp in Las Vegas. Without him, the squad has still gotten off to a fast start at the FIBA World Championships in Japan, posting a 3-0 record and beating its opponents by an average of 20 points going into today's game against Italy. "They're doing great," said Bryant, who was at the Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 1 when Team USA scrimmaged Puerto Rico. "The way they've been playing so far has been very impressive." Bryant said it appears USA Basketball is taking the world championships far more seriously than in the past. "The other countries have taken it seriously for years," he said. "We tend to focus more on the Olympics. But now, we're taking it seriously, too, and it shows in the results so far." Bryant said regardless of how Team USA fares in Japan in the next 12 days, he is committed to training with the squad in Las Vegas next summer, provided he's healthy. "I plan on being there," said Bryant, who has yet to fulfill his dream of playing for coach Mike Krzyzewski. Had Bryant not turned pro out of high school in 1996, he had planned to play for Krzyzewski at Duke.</div> Source
