A hometown crowd gave Kobe Bryant a rousing welcome back to basketball.

With a sellout crowd of 18,298 at the Arrowhead Pond giving him a roaring ovation then yelling his name in unison several times during the exhibition game, Bryant played Thursday night for the first time since being charged in July with felony sexual assault.

"The crowd support meant a lot, the fact that they're supporting me and standing behind my family. It meant a lot," said Bryant, whose wife, Vanessa, was at the game. "It felt good to be back out there playing and competing ... It was enjoyable."

Bryant played 32 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers and scored 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting as he joined Shaquille O'Neal and new teammates Karl Malone and Gary Payton in a game for the first time.

There were sporadic chants of "Kobe! Kobe!" when Bryant was on the court. When a close-up of him was shown on the big screen in the second quarter, there were a few scattered boos as well.

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While he was cheered in Anaheim, Bryant can expect an equal volume of jeers when the Lakers make regular-season stops at such cities as Sacramento, Philadelphia and Denver.

On the court, Bryant seemed his usual self -- grinning and clapping his hands when a teammate hit a jumper, grimacing and shaking his head in mock disbelief when he was called for a foul.

He looked relaxed, at one point hugging and joking with Quentin Richardson of the Clippers, and sharing a laugh with Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy near the sideline while a teammate was shooting free throws.

With all of the Lakers' starters except O'Neal sitting out most of the fourth quarter, the Clippers beat their star-studded opponents 107-101. Corey Maggette scored 21 points for the winners.

Bryant still was the focus.

"I think he's absolutely glad to be back in his element," Malone said. "There were guys who said he shouldn't play this year. But this is what he needs."

Payton agreed.

"He needed to come back and see that the fans still love him," said Payton, who along with Malone took pay cuts to join the Lakers and try to win their first NBA championship rings.

The Lakers' high-scoring quartet didn't have any trouble sharing the ball in their first game together.

O'Neal scored 18 points, Payton 17 and Malone 15. The fifth starter, Devean George, had 14 points.

"I think we showed that we can play with one basketball," Malone said. "It can be done. I think we can get it together on defense, too."

The crowd began chanting Bryant's name almost from the opening tip. After driving and being called for an offensive foul the first time he had the ball, he pulled up and made a jumper 1½ minutes into the game.

Returning to the game after knee surgery, Bryant showed signs of rust, including going 1-of-5 from 3-point range. One shot from beyond the arc barely ticked the front of the rim. But Bryant got the ball back and lobbed a no-look pass to O'Neal, who dunked as the fans cheered wildly.

Last season, Bryant had the second highest scoring average in the NBA, with a career high of 30 points per game.

New Judge Named

Bryant's appearance at the game comes just three days after he had been ordered to stand trial in Eagle, Colo., on charges of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel worker.

A new judge was seated for Bryant's sexual assault trial now that it has moved from county court to district court.

Chief Judge Terry Ruckriegle appointed himself to preside at Bryant's advisement hearing in district court on Nov. 10. He's been chief judge in the 5th Judicial District for nine years and served on the district court bench for 19 years, primarily in Breckenridge and Georgetown.

"He's not afraid of a big case. He has a good demeanor about him and will be able to control the attorneys and the trial. I think everybody in the justice system can be glad that Judge Ruckriegle is in charge now," said 7NEWS legal analyst Craig Silverman.

"He's a very careful and deliberate judge who demands a lot of the lawyers who appear in front of him in terms of preparation and professionalism," said Scott Robinson, a Denver defense attorney who has appeared in front of Ruckriegle several times.

Robinson said Ruckriegle has experience with high-profile cases as both a prosecutor and a judge, and his experience makes him well prepared for the case.

District Judge Tom Moorhead, the newest judge in the 5th District, was in line to preside over the case under the rotating system used to assign cases. But Ruckriegle, who oversees the courthouse, has discretion to depart from the rotation.

Ruckriegle is familiar with the Bryant case. He co-authored the decorum rules for news media covering the case and reviewed key rulings with Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett before Bryant's preliminary hearing.

In 2000, he was one of three finalists for a seat on the Colorado Supreme Court.

As judge, Ruckriegle will have the final say over determining the relevance of evidence and determining what, if any, aspects of the accuser's sexual history can be used under the confines of the state's rape shield law, Silverman said.

Ruckriegle will also determine the relevancy of the accuser's medical records and any evidence relating to allegations she attempted suicide twice in the last year.

"It's good to have a judge who wants the case," said Silverman. "That makes it a lot easier for the parties and their lawyers and the media. He didn't have to take this case but he chose to."

Prosecutors are accusing defense attorneys of leaking sealed details to the media. The District Attorney's Office claims Bryant's lawyers violated a court gag order with information that was published in the New York Daily News.

Defense lawyer Hal Haddon denied the charge, and said that the District Attorney's Office should be investigated for leaks.

"Nothing will be done that will affect the substantive rights of Kobe Bryant. It may be that a lawyer will be disciplined, money will change hands, perhaps even a threat of jail for a lawyer, but nothing about these leaks are going to affect the right of Kobe Bryant to a fair trial," Silverman said.