Kobe Bryant welcomes Byron Scott’s old-school conditioning

The Lakers held their first practice of training camp on Tuesday, opening with running, running and more running.

“It’s probably the most running I’ve ever done in an NBA practice,� said All-Star guard Kobe Bryant. “Actually it is, for sure. I’ve never run this much.�

Bryant is back on the court after missing most of last season with knee and Achilles injuries. The 36-year old veteran said injuries are no longer a concern.

He and Steve Nash, also recovering from an injury-plagued year with back, hamstring and knee issues, went through most of Scott’s practice.

The new Lakers coach said he’ll monitor both veterans to make sure they stay healthy.

“Kobe looked good. Steve was in great shape. Both those guys did probably 3/4 of the practice,� said Scott. “I had to ask Kobe to shut it down.

“He wanted to go more, but right now it’s just a progression of going just going a little bit a day. Today was a great starting day and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.�

Bryant was undaunted by the workload but understands that at his age, he needs to be mindful of preserving his body over the long season.

“He sat me out for the last 30 to 40 minutes of practice just to make sure we stick to the plan of having something left in the tank every single day,� said Bryant. “I feel great.�

Scott wasn’t surprised that Bryant hadn’t run to that extent before in practice. A disciple of Showtime era Lakers coach Pat Riley, Scott wants his team to be in better shape than its opponents.

“I want to be a great conditioned team. That’s the bottom line,� said Scott. “The thing that I told our guys, ‘We’re going to lose some games this year, but it’s not going to be because the [other team is] in better shape.’�

Scott said he is confident that he can balance giving Bryant and Nash the proper amount of rest and keep them in top condition.

Scott was happy with how his team responded on the first day.

“We had a number of guys that stood out that were in great shape,� said Scott. “Then we had a number of guys that obviously are going to work every day to get in better shape. Nobody was in terrible shape, which is a great sign.�

Scott was a mentor to the rookie Bryant.

“We see things the same way,� said Bryant. “In terms of philosophy, it’s like identical.

“Running and conditioning, that’s the biggest part. Everybody wants to play defense, but when you’re not conditioned to play defense, you go back to your natural instinct which is to play offense first.�

Bryant said he learned how to be a professional under Scott’s tutelage.

“Byron dealt with me when I was 17, 18 years old. He knows how to communicate with guys in that position, like [rookie] Julius [Randle who] is 19 years old,� said Bryant. “[Scott is] an absolute professional. It’s no accident that you look at the two young guys on that team, and how we turned out -- myself and Derek Fisher.�

Scott said he’ll rely on Bryant to be a leader.

“I’m going to use him like he’s another assistant coach,� said Scott. “He sees things out there that’s a little different than other people see.�

Does that mean Scott believes Bryant has a career ahead of him in coaching?

“No, he’s too tough,� answered Scott. “He’d probably be a whole lot more demanding than Pat Riley and myself.�

The Lakers make their exhibition debut on Oct. 6 in San Diego (Valley View Casino Center) against the Denver Nuggets.

Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.