Kobe Bryant missed practice Thursday when he didn't return in time from a Colorado court hearing on his sexual assault charge.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson downplayed Bryant's absence, attributing his delayed return to unspecified weather conditions.

"There's nothing we can do about that," he said.

Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Derek Fisher and Kareem Rush were fined by Jackson for arriving late to Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors. The players blamed a huge rainstorm that snarled the freeways.

"You have to plan for all kinds of situations," Jackson said.

Bryant appeared for the first time before the judge who will preside over his trial. He put off a formal plea during the 12-minute hearing.

Bryant arrived in Colorado after scoring 19 points in the Lakers' 94-79 victory over the Raptors. Jackson had pushed back the start of practice to accommodate Bryant, who had said he expected to be there.

"He was taking care of his business," O'Neal said. "We're all on the same page."

Malone got therapy on his left hamstring, aggravated in the Toronto game, and said he plans to play Friday night against Detroit.

After practice, O'Neal, Payton, Fisher and Karl Malone took part in a promotion to launch voting for the 2004 NBA All-Star game, to be played at Staples Center on Feb. 15.

Payton voted for himself, O'Neal, Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, Bryant and Malone ("because he's my homeboy.").

O'Neal marked Toronto's Vince Carter, New Jersey's Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, Detroit's Ben Wallace and Orlando's Tracy McGrady on the oversized ballot.

But he said he hoped the Lakers could replicate their feat of 1998, when they had four players on the All-Star team, including O'Neal and Bryant.

"It's going to be hard against all those people in China," he said, referring to the ability of overseas fans to vote on the Internet.

Asked what it meant to have the All-Star game in Los Angeles, O'Neal joked, "It means I don't have to charter that big jet for the family."

Fisher voted for Bryant, Malone, Payton and San Antonio's Tim Duncan. "I didn't vote for myself because they told me there's going to be a recall," he said, drawing laughter.

Malone didn't vote for any of his new teammates. He chose Carter, Kidd, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Baron Davis of New Orleans and Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal.

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