DENVER – Kobe Bryant sat in Carmelo Anthony’s home arena on a day when Bryant’s career inched further toward immortality with the news he’ll become the first athlete to have his hands and feet imprinted at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

It’ll happen next month, the day before the All-Star Game. For that, Bryant is set to beat out LeBron James in fan votes for the first time since 2006, when Bryant’s ballot box got stuffed by 81 points on a certain January night.

Speaking of points, Bryant is now 51 points shy of Hakeem Olajuwon and eighth place on the all-time NBA scoring list. Bryant’s legacy is by now secure.

Meanwhile, Anthony remains loosely docked in Denver. And on Thursday, Bryant looked back past his three NBA Finals trips in three years to his trade-me experience while disgruntled with the losing Lakers in 2007. Bryant could laugh about it now (although it was at Bryant’s own joke at the expense of Smush Parker).

Bryant also reflected on 2004, when he nearly left the Lakers via free agency. He grinned at the no-trade trump-card clause he held that made the process a lot more enticing for him than for guys who now, he said, “are seeing the power of the league controlling players.”

2004 was the same year Bryant faced the specter of a felony sexual-assault trial here in Colorado before the charge was dropped. These days, Bryant can meet up with lawyer Pamela Mackey under far better circumstances – which he did in the Lakers’ first visit to play here this season: Mackey attended the game as a fan and came down outside the Lakers’ locker room afterward.

For all the permanence that Bryant has achieved in living up to his “Laker for life” mantra – no one but Karl Malone and Michael Jordan has scored more points for one team – the life has been both a wild ride and a slow evolution.

Bryant has changed and calmed enough to be able to deprecate himself with this kind of crack Thursday: “I didn’t go to college. I don’t know how to read.” He still takes himself seriously, but not so much of the time.

It was in the same Pepsi Center practice gym 10 years ago that he took exception to a story I wrote about the previous night’s game in Sacramento. Bryant had been out of sync with the team for three quarters before rallying the Lakers with an incredible individual surge down the stretch.

I had written it chronologically just like that, first mentioning how bad Bryant was before how good – albeit with vibrant color in an attempt to illustrate what a striking turnaround it was. Bryant, though, was at a place in his career where he was sick of everyone always mentioning the bad, downgrading his pursuit of individual growth and success. So it was “Who the (expletive) is Kevin Ding?!” and one of the chillier fronts in our working relationship.

That anecdote, aside from serving as proof that Bryant can indeed read, is meant to convey that Bryant has also chilled out. He no longer sweats so much small stuff. Obviously it helps that people have come to understand his drive better, but he also realizes better where to pour his energies.

Bryant will still hold a grudge for as long as he deems necessary, but he has proved over time with many people and on many occasions that he won’t hold it forever. So it’s no coincidence that he dismissed the idea that anyone should worry about Anthony’s state of mind while in this non-trade limbo. About Anthony, Bryant said flatly: “Thick skin.”

“I know for me it was all about winning,” Bryant said. “In my situation, we weren’t spending the money to get players here. They had me running around with Smush Parker.

“So till they wanted to make the necessary sacrifices financially to get a team here that was competitive, then I didn’t want to be here. Simple as that.”

Phil Jackson did more focused peacemaking at that time to help Bryant peek out from under the covers and see the possibilities with the Lakers than the coach did at any time during the Kobe-Shaq years. When I asked him on Thursday what he remembered most from Bryant’s trade-me saga, Jackson smiled and went into rapid-fire speak: “Nothing. I have no memory. Amnesia. It’s over. Can’t remember.”

Jackson, who is taking notes this season perhaps to write another book, appreciates the juicy stuff: “That’s going in the book,” he said.

Jackson did allow this much when I reminded him about Bryant not accompanying the team for an exhibition game in Las Vegas and initially standing so far apart from everyone: “It was pretty intense. It was an intense time for our team. I think the most amazing thing is he stepped out of not playing for week or something like that, and started the season right off with a bang.”

Yes, Bryant has been consistent over the years in that regard. Even when the distractions aren’t good but are plenty, he can do the job.

What also remains consistent despite the softer edges is his unwavering belief in the power of him.

He fundamentally believes he can create – and has created – change.

I asked him what would’ve happened if he hadn’t spoken up about wanting more from the Lakers in 2007 – before Andrew Bynum got serious, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol got acquired and Orlando and Boston got got.

What would’ve happened to the Lakers?

“I don’t know,” Bryant said. “They probably just coast again. Just coast. But I wasn’t going for that.”