The Associated Press

EAGLE, Colo. - Kobe Bryant must stand trial on a charge of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old resort worker, a judge ruled Monday, clearing the way for a celebrity trial the likes of which hasn't been seen since O.J. Simpson.

Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett said prosecutors presented enough evidence Bryant might have committed the crime June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers guard could face a life sentence if convicted.

His next appearance, in district court, is set for Nov. 10.

Bryant has said the sex was consensual. His attorneys suggested the woman's injuries came during sex with other men in the days before her encounter with Bryant at a posh resort.

The defense can appeal Gannett's ruling, but such appeals are rare, legal experts said.

Bryant practiced with the Lakers at their El Segundo, Calif., facility on Monday and it wrapped up about two hours before the judge issued his ruling.

Bryant was asked then about the decision that would be coming out of the Colorado courtroom.

"What courtroom?" he said.

At Bryant's next appearance he will be advised of his rights, of the charge and of the possible penalties. He could enter a plea during that hearing.

After Monday's practice, Bryant was asked how much anxiety he was feeling.

"Basketball, zero anxiety. Other stuff, a little anxiety," he said. "But now I just pretty much, you know, give it up. I've pretty much, I done all I can. Now I'll let God carry me the rest of the way. I feel comfortable with that."

Prosecutors in Colorado almost always succeed in persuading a judge to order a trial after a preliminary hearing because the standard of proof required is relatively low.

Gannett said that although prosecutors presented "a minimal amount of evidence," what they did show suggested "submission and force." The evidence included photographs of the woman's injuries, as well as blood on her underwear and on Bryant's T-shirt.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said he was "pleased" by the decision, "although we had confidence all along in the case."