Injury since the preseason? Gosh effing damnit Byron and the Lakers training staff. I'd fire their a** if I even had an ounce of suspicion they knew about it and still played him 35 plus.
Well, that sucks. Why play him so many minutes if they knew about this from the beginning? Anyway, it's time to shut him down. It's pointless. Let's lose some more games and get that high pick. Hopefully, Randle will come back strong and in the meantime we need to trade Hill for another 1st if possible. With those young guys, Ed, Swag -- and perhaps a new star player we'll have a bright future. We just need to suffer a little longer. And Kobe can rest.
Oh, I dunno what to say...half-a-season stolen from Kobe, from us...Sad indeed... Rest him this year and let's retool next year, hopefully with healthy Randle and a few roster changes and maybe we can see some playoff action?
Wow again. Who knew this?? Typical Kobe, hides and masks pain and serious issues and just like Puffy said yesterday, adjusts, adapts and continues to BALL. I agree with what he recalled about the dislocated finger. OUCH!! No sweat. Pop it back in place, go back out there same damn game, adjust stroke and keep BALLING at a high level. Put a freaking stiff, straight splint on it the next day, adjust AGAIN and keep BALLING at a high level. If I recall correctly he shot amazingly well with the straight fingered splint on his shooting hand. Beyond amazing Kobe Bryant. Yeah I'm in his jock, what can I say. The injuries played through with absolute minimum time off if even necessary, and laying it all on the floor every single night on TOP of being the most skilled "all around" player in the history of the game in my mind make him the greatest Laker ever. On another note I have to say I LOVE Romona Shelburne's voice and smart analysis on the radio. She's great! Ex "alpha" jockette with a screaming fast pitch softball delivery back in the not too distant past.
I really do feel for Kobe; hindsight is 20/20, but I would feel or have felt a lot more confident in Phil managing these last years for the Mamba. Trust me, that's an understatement.
Kobe will miss the rest of the season if he needs surgery, sources said. There is strong concern within the organization that is the case. Final determination on that will be made by Laker team doctors on Friday, but fear w/in org tonight is that he does need the surgery. Per Ramona Shelburne
No fear w/in Lakers at this time that Kobe retires. If anything, the opposite is true. He's more likely to come back next year bc of this. Per Ramona.
Well maybe I was wrong about what's his face. I wonder if this is still some slight smoke to make sure Kobe sits. Similar to Randle and his foot?... I hope?
I'm getting depressed posting these tweets. We'll see what transpires tomorrow after Kobe visits the physicians; nevertheless, when I first heard the new about his torn rotator cuff, I'm thinking that Kobe is done for the season with a torn rotator cuff that needs surgery. If it's even partially torn, and he only needs a 'few weeks', they should sit him for the season, IMO. That hurts me to even type; we're all fans, and we all watched Kobe over the course of his 19 years through competing at the highest level and we were rewarded with watching the best player on the planet and 5 championships. I'm getting nostalgic. As much as I'm pro-tank, this hurts because I love watching Bean play...the fact that he went back into a game for a 12-win team, shoot a left handed step back, and not giving up but leaving it all out there on the floor is Kobe in a nutshell...once a generation type player/athlete/champion/Olympian/winner.
Tough news. He needs to shut it down for the season, surgery or not. There's nothing to prove this season. Play some of the young guys like Clarkson and Kelly. More rest for vets like Booz and Price. Start Lin and see if he can pick it up playing with Davis.
Just speculating, so what happens if he just decides, enough is enough, the old body has had it, is sick of the setbacks and wants to retire? Do they settle on a buyout and if so does he count on next years cap too?
with the way kobe's been playing this season and with father time finally catching up to him, i think that "dagger in my heart" thread over on CL should have been created now instead of 5-6 years ago
My understanding of the options is: A) He retires voluntarily and thus waives his contract, freeing the Lakers of his 25 million dollar contract for next season. We would have an ungodly amount of money let to spend; something like 42.2 million if we keep Jordan Hill. If we don't keep Jordan we'd have 51.2 million to spend I believe. That's also assuming we keep Jordan Clarkson and Robert Sacre for their Team Options. B) He stays on and keeps his money and we have roughly 27 million to use this summer. I don't think "Old Age" qualifies as career-ending and I don't know that we'd get clearance on Kobe's torn rotator cuff as a career-ending injury unless for whatever reason surgeons found they were unable to repair it. It's possible I'm wrong, but I just don't see the NBA accepting as an Medical Retirement.
Mike Bresnahan ✔ @Mike_Bresnahan MT “@kobebryant: This is what happens when I pass too much! #ShoulderShock thank u all for ur thoughts and prayers #team @Lakers #oneluv”
