Unfortunately, that's not going to change anytime soon, as the Mamba has officially been ruled out for the rest of the year, thus ending his 18th professional season with only six games under his belt.
A fractured lateral tibial plateau of his left knee, suffered against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 17, is what did the trick, as it hasn't healed quickly enough for him to join his teammates during the remaining portion of their lackluster campaign.
He'll finish the year watching his team sink toward the best lottery odds the NBA has to offer, and he'll do so with per-game averages of only 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
"Obviously this has been a frustrating and disappointing season, but I appreciate all the support I’ve received from the Lakers and the fans, and look forward to being back and ready for the start of training camp,” Bryant told the world via the press release on NBA.com that officially ended his season.
And yes, this news apparently surprised the future Hall of Famer:
That tweet from ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin revealed part of what was going through the mind of the Mamba. But fortunately, there's more.
Kobe took the podium during a press conference to react to the news, providing the fans with plenty of optimism.
First things first, though, as he did reveal that he was disappointed in the outcome:
How could he not be?
This is a man who was made to play competitive basketball, and he's dedicated his life to the sport. Not being able to step out on the court is painful, perhaps even more painful than the injury itself.
That said, Kobe did let the world know that his knee was indeed impr...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
