Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has lost another endorsement deal, at least for now.

John Lewicki, director of sports marketing for McDonald's, confirmed to ESPN.com late Friday that Bryant's three-year agreement with the fast food company expired on Dec. 31.

"We wish Kobe all the best in his endeavors and we will maintain an open dialogue with him in the future," Lewicki said.

Bryant's agent Rob Pelinka could not be reached for comment.

Endorsement deals with very marketable NBA stars are often extended by the companies that originally sign them, but the McDonald's deal marks the second company to have let their relationship with Bryant come to an end since he was accused on July 1 of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado.

In August, Ferrero U.S.A. -- which signed a two-year contract with Bryant to endorse its hazelnut spread brand Nutella in January 2001 and extended it through Jan. 2004 -- announced that it would not renew with Bryant when the deal came to an end. Bryant's image on the spread's jar and on the company's Web site were subsequently phased out.

"The last thing McDonald's needs is to have to wrestle with all the questions out there while maintaining their relationship with Kobe," said Scott Becher, president of Sports & Sponsorships, a sports marketing firm. Becher said he believes the odds that McDonald's will renew the star in the near future are very low. "If they had any interest in keeping the relationship alive, the wouldn't let him go like that, especially in the competitive fast food marketplace."

How Bryant's other endorsement deals will be affected remains to be seen.

The 25-year-old Bryant signed a five-year deal worth at least $40 million with Nike in June 2003 and a shoe scheduled to launch Feb. 7, a week before the All-Star Game in Los Angeles, has momentarily been shelved due to the news surrounding Bryant.

Although Bryant's deal with Coca-Cola runs through 2005, Bryant has not appeared in any advertising for its Sprite brand -- which he had been pitching since 1997 -- since his commercials were phased out in July. A month and a half later, Coca-Cola signed NBA rookie phenom LeBron James to a six-year, $12 million deal to pitch the Sprite and Powerade brands.

James' agents, Aaron and Eric Goodwin, have had discussions with fast food companies including McDonald's over the past couple months.

"Naturally, McDonald's would be a great fit for the LeBron James brand," Aaron Goodwin said.

Bryant's contract with Spalding, to endorse its basketballs, also runs through 2005.

McDonald's has been an official NBA sponsor since 1990 and previously used Michael Jordan and Larry Bird in its advertising.

Bryant will make his next appearance in court in Eagle, Colo., next Friday when District Judge Terry Ruckriegle is scheduled to hear arguments to determine if the accuser's medical records can be used in the case as evidence. Disputes over admittance of evidence will take place through late March, making it more likely that a trial won't take place until the NBA season is over.

The stretched out time period before a trial might be a relief to the Lakers, who will need Bryant on the court come playoff time.

At the same time, the drawn-out process makes it difficult for Bryant's sponsors to utilize him. Also, while some endorsement contracts allow companies to sever ties with a celebrity if they believe that public figure has tarnished the image of the company, it is not known if the morality clauses in Bryant's endorsement contracts would enable those companies to terminate him even if he is not convicted.

Bryant, who could be out two to three weeks after spraining his right shoulder in Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, is averaging 22 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.