Tough luck for Lakers, Kobe out with injured knee

Just six games into his return from a torn Achilles tendon in his left foot suffered back in April, Kobe Bryant will once again be watching games from the sideline rather than playing in them. Basketball fans and Laker fans alike were given just a small sample size of the Kobe Bryant post-Achilles injury as his highly anticipated return which was eight months in the making, was once again put on hold due to the injury bug. On the road facing the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, Bryant went down on the count after appearing to have tweaked something in the third quarter. Though he lied there clutching his knee for a good minute or so, there didn't appear to be any major damage as Kobe was able to walk off the court under his own power and continued to play the remainder of the game as the Lakers eventually went on to win by a final of 96-92. But after experiencing soreness the following day, an MRI on Thursday revealed Kobe had in fact fractured the lateral tibia plateau in his left knee. 

The injury comes just three weeks after the Lakers signed their superstar player and all-time franchise scoring-leader to a two-year, $48.5 Million extension. A deal that might end up hurting the team more than it helps. In the limited time Kobe played on the court before once again having to trade his Lakers uniform for a pair of crutches, he managed to score at least 20-points in three of the six games he starred in and logged a 13-assist performance in another. Though Kobe's presence will be missed, his injury is just the latest name added to the laundry list of players the Lakers have seen miss time this season. At the moment, coach Mike D'Antoni will have to make due with a depleted lineup as Bryant joins Steve Blake, Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar on the sideline. Upon his return, Kobe was being looked at as the saving grace, being able to move from shooting-guard to point-guard but his absence forced general manager Mitch Kupchak to seek an alternative as the team signed free-agent Kendall Marshall. The former first round pick out of North Carolina in last year's NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Marshall was most recently waived by the Washington Wizards and has yet to produce anywhere near the numbers he put up while with the Tar Heels.

In the handful of minutes we got to see Bryant play this season, he showed flashes of his old self as he got his feet back more and more after each game. But in no way did we see the explosiveness as to be expected given the repercussions of his Achilles injury. One department Kobe's absence will benefit the team in, however, is in the Draft lottery. With the Lakers franchise in desperate need of rebuilding from the ground up, the 6 to 8 weeks Kobe is out for should help the team further solidify themselves in the lottery sweepstakes.

I'm one of the biggest Kobe supporters you'll meet but what he did on November 25 by signing his two-year contract-extension for $48.5 Million set me back a bit. In no way am I hating on the man for taking money, but I am a bit surprised given how much Bryant says he wants that sixth ring to add to his legacy. Taking up $24 Million a year in payroll at the age of 35 does little to help his team's case in pursuit of NBA Championship no. 17. Compare Kobe's deal to that of the aging Tim Duncan who in 2012 went from making $23 Million the year before to $9.7 Million a year, a deal which helped the franchise sign pieces to surround Duncan with and helped them get to the NBA Finals this past June. It appears Kobe's latest contract is more of a 'thank you' from Lakers owner Jim Buss for what he's done in the past rather than what Kobe can accomplish in the next two seasons. Maybe it was just wishful thinking when I thought Kobe would take a page out of Tom Brady's book by taking a pay-cut to help his team.

As for any doubt we had in the past on whether or not Kobe's last seasons would be in the purple and gold, the contract-extension means Kobe will be a Laker for life. After it's all said and done, Kobe will have been with the team for 20 years, one year longer than John Stockton was with the Utah Jazz, the longest tenured player in NBA history with one franchise. The fact of the matter is Kobe's hunger for greatness is unparalleled and nothing will prevent him from playing these final two plus seasons unless he's got to be carried away from the game for good. With all that said, get well, Mamba, and take your time recovering.


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