Kobe Bryant Still Aching, May Pass On NBA All-Star Game
February 9th, 2010 – By Bryan Cross
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has missed two-straight games since injuring his left ankle, and said he may sit out the NBA All-Star game this weekend if things don’t improve.
“If I’m not able to play, I won’t play. But I’m healthy, I will,” he said.
So far, Bryant hasn’t been. He sprained his ankle two weeks ago in a road game against Philadelphia and is still experiencing soreness in his foot. It’s an unusual situation for the Lakers’ star who had a streak of 235 consecutive games played. He’s played through pain plenty, but being unable to move around or even shoot a jump shot snapped that streak, leaving him disoriented during game days.
“It’s frustrating. I’m not used to this. I don’t know what the hell players are supposed to do back here,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on half the time.”
He sat out last Saturday against Portland, just three days after scoring only five points against the Charlotte Bobcats. He is still unable to push off, meaning there’s really no timetable to when he can come back at all. Team trainers are simply going on feeling and waiting out the storm.
Bryant said he will try his best to come back, but will practice caution with his first major injury since 2005.
“I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to run through a wall just to run through a wall,” he said. “If it’s an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I’m playing, then I’ll play. But if it’s the type of injury where it’s going to get worse when I play, then I won’t.”
Bryant is averaging 28 points for the first-place Lakers, who are favored to win the NBA title in most NBA Sportsbooks. Bodog’s line is 2-to-3 for Los Angeles to win the Western Conference, and seven-to-4 to win The Finals.
The Lakers are 2-0 in Bryant’s absence.
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