Has Kobe Bryant Set an Impossible Superstar Standard Among Lakers Fans?

Future superstars will have a tough time winning over fans of the Los Angeles Lakers because of the impossible standard that Kobe Bryant has set.

The five-time world champion is the NBA’s modern day iron man given his ability to simply brush off injuries and suit up for games. Throughout his career, Bryant has dealt with a string of debilitating health issues that should have kept him sidelined for huge chunks of the Lakers’ season, and yet he has persevered and missed minimal time.

Furthermore, regardless of the nature of his injuries, the former league MVP has adjusted his game accordingly and has continued to play at a high level. Bleacher Report’s own Joshua Sexton did a terrific job of breaking down the numerous physical ailments that Bryant has faced throughout his career, and the games he consequently missed.

Between shoulder surgery, a back injury during the 2008 playoffs and a torn ligament on his shooting wrist to name a few, the four-time All-Star Game MVP has been subjected to some fairly significant injuries.



For instance, during the 2010 playoffs, Bryant’s right knee became a source of concern and had to be drained on a few occasions. The pain became incredibly bothersome for the 2-guard, and in an effort to remedy the situation, he flew to Germany in the 2010 summer where he received a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy.

Grantland’s Jonah Lehrer explained the reasons that prompted Bryant to go all the way to Germany for this treatment:

The reason Kobe [Bryant], A-Rod, and other athletes travel to Germany for their biologic treatments involves a vague FDA regulation that mandates that all human tissues (such as blood and bone marrow) can only be "minimally manipulated," or else they are classified as a drug and subject to much stricter governmental regulations.

Bryant’s willingness to travel across the world for...

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