As the Los Angeles Lakers strive to grab the West's final spot in the postseason, longtime franchise icon Kobe Bryant has taken on an even greater burden. In two games earlier this week, Kobe dominated the ball to do whatever it took to take his victory, dominating the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night and scoring a season-high 47 points against the Portland Trail Blazers a day later. Like he's done many times during his career, the fiercely competitive Bryant did whatever he felt he needed to do to win.
On Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant pushed himself hard enough to suffer what appears to be the most serious injury of his career. With 42 seconds left in the game and the Lakers up 117-116, Bryant was fouled by Warriors wing Klay Thompson on a drive to the basket. He returned to the game to shoot his two free throws, but then walked very slowly into the locker room to receive treatment. You can watch the video above (via @cjzero).
After the game, the Lakers announced that the injury looks to be quite serious:
Lakers PR team saying Kobe Bryant suffered a probable torn Achilles in tonight’s game. He’ll have a MRI tomorrow to confirm.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 13, 2013
Everyone involved with the team, including Bryant, is acting in public as if the injury is a torn Achilles tendon. Kobe is well known for playing while hobbled, but it's impossible to play through a torn Achilles tendon, which typically requires a year of rehabilitation. If anything, it's a wonder that Bryant was even able to shoot his free throws and walk around immediately after the injury.
We'll have more updates for you shortly.
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