Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, soars ahead of Luke Walton, right-top, and Jannero Prago for a layup during practice Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003, in El Segundo, Calif. Bryant plans to make his first exhibition appearance of the year Thursday, Oct 30 when the Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers in Anaheim. [AP]

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers will start Thursday night's pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers, three days after being ordered to stand trial on charges he raped a 19-year-old woman in Colorado last June.

It will mark Bryant's pre-season debut, allowing him to work with free-agent acquisitions Gary Payton and Karl Malone for the first time.

A Denver judge ordered the 24-year-old guard to appear in district court on November 10 when he will enter a plea to the charges. The case could go to trial next year and is expected to be vigorously contested.

Bryant, who had off-season knee surgery, has practiced with the Lakers. He was second in the NBA in scoring average last season, counting a career-high 30 points per game.

He had a nine-game stretch during which he scored at least 40 points and in early March became the youngest player to notch 10,000 points.

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