Kobe Bryant suffered an apparent torn Achilles tendon during the Los Angeles Lakers 118-116 win over the Golden State Warriors. Bryant has been banged up all season long while he has played the most minutes of everyone on the Lakers and it appears that his body finally gave out.
The super star and obvious future hall of famer suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of his team’s victory. While this isn’t anywhere close to the first time he has suffered an injury to his foot and the surrounding area, if it is an Achilles tendon tear than it is the most severe.
Kobe Bryant seems to believe that it is indeed a tear to that tendon, as he stood on crutches in front of his locker after the game and confirmed the initial diagnosis. While the team will send him to get an MRI later today, the face of the Laker’s franchise said that he felt something pop right before he crumpled to the ground after the injury.
Bryant seemed almost as disheartened about how he injured himself as he was about the injury on the whole. ”I made a move that I’ve made a million times, and it just popped,” he said after the game.
The star added that he tried to see if he could just shake it off, but there was too much pain. He said he tried to push off on the heel but he simply couldn’t do it.
If it is a tear, Bryant’s season is clearly over. The bigger question is whether or not this could also mean the end of his career. Achilles tendon tears are not injuries that players get over and can hop right back on the court. They require months of rehabilitation.
The NBA’s third leading scorer this year has taken quite a beating in the last few season of his 17-year career and one has to wonder if he might just use this as the reason to call an end to his playing days.
The Los Angeles Lakers now have to worry about their best player and making the playoffs. With last night’s win they have held onto the eighth (and final) spot in the Western Conference standings. They have a one game lead over the Utah Jazz with two games to play.
Do you think Kobe Bryant can come back from this injury or is his career over?
