The Kobe Bryant injury bombshell dropped on Thursday, proving to NBA loyalists across the globe that hope is a very dangerous thing.
Per a Los Angeles Lakers press release, Bryant will be sidelined for an extended period with a knee injury:
Dashed Hopes
Kobe hadn't been playing particularly well since his return from a ruptured Achilles, averaging 13.8 points and 5.7 turnovers per game on 42.5 percent shooting. But that wasn't really all that important to a huge portion of NBA fans.
Everybody just wanted to see Bryant on the floor, defying the odds and trying to take on the seemingly impossible challenge of extending his career after an injury that had ended so many others. Lakers fans, in particular, needed Bryant to play.
Kobe occupies a mythical place in Lakers lore. He's indestructible, something more than human. Lakers fans and Bryant supporters the world over simply assumed he'd beat the odds because...well, because he's Kobe.
His latest injury is just another reminder that tempered expectations, though no fun at all, are usually the safest kind to have.
Bryant's loss is devastating, and the outpouring of disappointment started mere moments after news broke of his upcoming absence.
B/R's Kevin Ding noted that this particular injury carries with it some potentially far-reaching complications:
It's not crazy to assume that this latest setback could be the one that ends Bryant's career. The Lakers and their fans have to be particularly cognizant of the downward spiral that can result from continued setbacks to aging stars—especially after watching it happen to Steve Nash.
The long-term prognosis certainly isn't going to make anybody feel better.
More broadly, Bryant's injury serves as bleak notice that it's usually not safe to assume the players we put on pe...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
