The Los Angeles Lakers playoff chances to a major hit last night with Kobe Bryant going down grasping his ankle with 3:08 left to play.
The Lakers went on to win the game over the Golden State Warriors 118-116, but suffered their biggest loss of the season.
Kobe has been logging 46 minutes per night in the month of April. This had already led to placing the blame on head coach Mike D’Antoni, but injuries like this just happen.
Achilles injuries have ended the careers of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal in recent history, but Bryant has always been a fast healer. Not fast enough to help the Lakers secure the playoff spot or even win a game if they do make the playoffs.
Kobe Bryant: “I was just hoping it wasn’t what I knew it was…I heard the pop.”
Kobe’s plan now: “MRI, surgery, and then recovery. It’s a new experience for me. Obviously, there’s been a bunch of players that have had the same injury, so, all I can do is look at them and what they’ve done and who had more success coming back quicker and healthier and see what they did and see if I can improve upon it.”
Kobe has been vocal this season about ending his career in 2014. This seems to make more sense now.