Kobe Awaits D.A.'s Decision

Prosecutors need more time before deciding whether to bring charges against Kobe Bryant, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a resort near Vail last week.

"Sometimes it takes a while," District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said Monday. "It may be beyond the end of the week."

He refused to discuss details of the allegations against the five-time NBA All-Star, saying only that the alleged victim was an adult.

"I have talked with her and she seems to be doing OK considering the circumstances," Hurlbert said.

Authorities say Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant turned himself in to police and posted a $25,000 bond on a felony count of sexual assault.

The 24-year-old Bryant was released after turning himself in Friday and posting bond, the Eagle County sheriff's office said Sunday. Eagle County encompasses Vail.

"Kobe is innocent," Bryant's Denver-based lawyer, Pamela Mackey, told the Los Angeles Times in Monday's editions. "Can you imagine being accused of this? It's awful."

Police say an arrest warrant was issued after deputies investigated a woman's claims Tuesday of sexual misconduct by Bryant. According to the complaint, the incident happened the previous night in a hotel in the Edwards area of Eagle County, near Vail.

A statement from the sheriff's office says that after a series of interviews and a review of the physical evidence, investigators met with representatives for District Attorney Mark Hurlbert and concluded they had enough evidence for the felony sexual assault count.

Hurlbert said Sunday night he hadn't made a decision on whether to file charges and had not yet seen the arrest report. He said the sheriff's office asked a judge for an arrest warrant instead of requesting one through his office, the usual practice.

In its statement, the sheriff's office notes that Bryant has cooperated with its investigators and "remains cooperative with authorities."

Judge Russell Granger ordered the case sealed.

"These allegations are completely out of character of the Kobe Bryant we know," says Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. "For the seven years he's been with us, he has been one of the finest young men we've known and a wonderful asset to both our team and our community. However, since this is a legal matter being handled by the authorities in Colorado, we must refrain from further comment at this time."

NBA spokesman Tim Frank says the league has no immediate comment. According to The Los Angeles Times, Nike — the show company that pays Bryant an estimated $45 million to endorse its products — also would not comment.

Bryant was the NBA's second-leading scorer last season, averaging a career-best 30 points a game. He scored 40 or more points in nine straight games in February and also had career-high averages of 6.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists while playing in each of the Lakers' 82 games.

The Lakers were eliminated from the Western Conference semifinals by the San Antonio Spurs, ending Los Angeles' run of three straight NBA championships.

Bryant underwent shoulder surgery on June 12 in New York. The Lakers expect he'll be ready by the start of training camp in October.

Bryant has not yet decided whether to take a $55 million, three-year extension of his current Lakers contract. Some observers believe Bryant could try to leave the team as a free agent. He is not believed to be especially close to teammates.

Bryant married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. Bryant and his parents recently mended a rift that developed when he became engaged to Laine when she was an 18-year-old high school student.

Vanessa gave birth to their first child, Natalia Diamante Bryant, in January.

The 6'7", 210 pound guard came to the Lakers out of high school and has more than 10,600 points in his career.