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Lakers' Scott skeptical Kobe will play all 82 games

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With a universal feeling sinking in that this could be Kobe Bryant's final NBA season, the 20-year veteran said he wants to play in all 82 games this season.

Not surprisingly, it's something Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott expressed skepticism over on Monday.

"That's a grind to try to play all 82," Scott told reporters after practice in Miami, on the eve of the Lakers' first back-to-back this season. "We're going to talk again."

Scott confirmed Bryant would play Tuesday night against the Heat, leaving Wednesday's contest against the Orlando Magic in question. The Florida trip marks the first of 17 back-to-backs for the Lakers this season.

"I know how (Bryant) feels and I understand that," Scott said. "But my objective is to get him through this whole season. That might mean him missing some games so he can get through the whole year."

A complete 82-game schedule without a break can be challenging for any NBA player, let alone a 37-year-old coming off three straight season-ending injuries. Last year, 28 players in the league played a full schedule (Josh Smith actually played 83 games, a scheduling anomaly after he switched teams).

The last time Bryant played 82 games was in 2010-11, and it's something he's only done four times in his career. The future Hall of Famer has showed his age in six games so far, shooting 32 percent from the field and launching a few cringeworthy air balls.

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