LOS ANGELES — The time has come for Kobe Bryant to end months of silence regarding the Los Angeles Lakers.

That's assuming he joins his teammates Monday at media day in suburban El Segundo and then on the flight to Hawai'i for the start of training camp Tuesday.

Although Bryant is expected, his spokesperson Catherine Sebring declined comment when asked about his plans, lending a bit of intrigue.

Still, the Lakers are counting on him.

"Without mentioning specific names, appropriate people in our organization have been in contact with Kobe, and we have no reason to believe he won't be in Hawai'i for training camp," team spokesman John Black said.

A posting yesterday on Bryant's Web site indicated the 29-year-old will be at camp.

"The countdown to tipoff is on," it began. "Summer is gone, fall is upon us and that can mean only one thing: NBA training camps are just around the corner. While some teams are holding their media days today, the Lakers will invite the media to their practice facility Monday and will depart shortly after for training camp at the University of Hawai'i's Stan Sheriff Center.

"kb24.com will be at media day to bring you the sights and sounds as the team prepares to kick off the 2007-2008 season."

Bryant hasn't said much about the Lakers since those bizarre couple of days four months ago when he called the team's front office a mess on a local sports talk radio show, asked to be traded on a national show, backed off during an emotional interview on yet another local show, then reiterated his desire to play elsewhere.

The two-time defending NBA scoring champion pushed for an upgraded roster after the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year last spring.

It hasn't happened.

Unrestricted free agents Luke Walton and Chris Mihm were re-signed, and Derek Fisher, a former Laker was added, which should improve the backcourt. But an attempt to land Kevin Garnett from Minnesota was unsuccessful, and nothing developed regarding Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal.

Bryant did apologize to general manager Mitch Kupchak for criticizing him and bemoaning the fact that Andrew Bynum wasn't traded in a video recorded by three fans last spring and sold on the Internet.

But Bryant declined to discuss his situation with the Lakers while playing for the United States earlier this summer in the FIBA Americas tournament. He was a key factor in the USA's triumph, landing the Americans a berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Lakers repeatedly have said they won't trade Bryant, who has played his entire 10-year NBA career with them. He has four years remaining on the seven-year, $136.4 million contract he signed following the 2003-04 season — immediately after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to Miami. Bryant can terminate the deal in two years.

The Lakers haven't won a playoff series since O'Neal left.