Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has outlined his plan to limit the amount of minutes Kobe Bryant will play next season in the attempt to keep him fresh for the duration of the campaign.

The 37-year-old was given clearance to return to the court earlier this week after spending nine months rehabbing his shoulder after undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff in January.

"We've got to stick to the guns," Scott told the Orange County Register. "If we agree on a certain amount of time we're going to stick to it.

"I know Kobe's a competitor and he's going to play as many minutes as you want him to play. I'm also a competitor, so I want to win and I know having him on the court gives me the best opportunity to win."

Bryant revealed that the 2015-16 season is likely to be the last of his career.