At age 30, Lakers' Kobe Bryant doesn't want to slow down

Opponents, however, will probably view the reigning most valuable player as something less than geriatric.

Father Time logged another milestone in August, hanging a 30th year on Bryant, though the 10-time All-Star said he felt as spry as ever with his 13th NBA season around the next bend.

"I feel great," Bryant said recently. "I could run all day."

His minutes have accrued throughout the years -- 31,571 in the regular season and 5,948 more in the playoffs -- but Bryant is still way behind the staggering 62,297 minutes played by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a 20-year NBA career.

But Bryant doesn't seem to want to slow down.

He is nearing the end of a calendar year that has already included 21 playoff games and a lengthy summer run with Team USA. Still, he shrugged off the wear and tear on his body. "Honestly? Not at all. None. I feel fantastic," he said.

If age won't slow down Bryant, Jackson will try.

The Lakers coach is limiting Bryant's action in training camp and probably will hold him out of an exhibition game or two. Jackson also said Bryant would play fewer minutes this season, though Bryant practically rolled his eyes when told about it.

"That was a goal of ours last season and I still played 40 minutes," Bryant said. "Whether it's 40 minutes, 43 minutes, whatever it is, I feel fine."

Bryant is coming off an extremely productive season in which he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 38.9 minutes a game while pulling the Lakers to within two victories of a championship.

He's currently playing small forward instead of guard, a change from last season as Lamar Odom is shifted experimentally to ballhandling guard. Bryant will also ditch the tape job he had on the ring and pinkie fingers of his right hand last season while battling a torn ligament in the pinkie.

"The scar tissue's really settled," said Bryant, who opted against surgery after the Olympics.

"It's pretty thick right now. It still gets sore when I get whacked on it pretty good, but in terms of coming out of place or me missing games because of it, I'd have to completely re-injure it."

Odom still under gun

The Odom experiment continues in practice, as does Jackson's watchful, and critical, eye.