By now most of us have seen or heard the news about Kobe Bryant and his injury. A possible torn Achilles, MRI scheduled for tomorrow. Given that possibility, the recovery time involved, and the fact that he’s stated next season was to be his last, we have to begin to acknowledge we may have just witnessed the end of one of the most spectacular careers in NBA history.
The recovery time for such an injury varies. From 6-8 weeks, 8-12 weeks, or 3-11 months. The consensus around basketball circles is it takes about 6 months for a player to recover. But given the tremendous amounts of wear and tear and age on Kobe that seems like an unrealistic time frame. If he could somehow do it, and if anyone could it’d be the Mamba, that should have him ready to go around mid-October. Right in time for opening night. But that’s being very optimistic.
If Kobe misses most of next season, or all of it, it creates some very interesting situations and conversations to be had. The Lakers will look much the same next year, assuming things don’t change cap wise. It’s hard to see this team being competitive without Kobe next year. Especially with his $30mil eating most of the cap. If he retires this summer that $30mil will be off the cap and would give the Lakers some flexibility this summer and begin rebuilding sooner than expected. But would Kobe make that decision early in this process? Would the Lakers, behind closed doors, hope for his retirement? There are some obvious benefits to it. If he misses the entire season next year, last in his contract, but decides he wants to continue playing do the Lakers re-sign him? At what price is a good one to re-sign an aged player coming off a Torn Achilles ? Even if he is the greatest player in franchise history.
But right now, let us focus on the legacy of Kobe. If this ends up being the end of the Kobe Bryant Era, we all owe him a standing ovation. Even the haters. I myself have had a love/hate relationship with him through his career. But the excitement and level of commitment he has brought to the game over his 17 years have been remarkable. He carried the torch of greatness with nothing but the greatest work ethic, while showing great respect toward those who carried it before him. If Kobe is stepping down as the guardian of the game of basketball, he will be leaving it in great hands with the likes of LeBron, Durant, D-Rose, and Westbrook(perhaps the most like Bryant). But are you willing to bet against Kobe? Against the Mamba? Me either.
Thanks for reading Life of A Basketball Addict, I appreciate it greatly. I’ll be sure to follow up on this situation as things change. In the meantime: subscribe, follow, like, share, and comment. What are your thoughts on the career of Kobe? The injury? Let me know. It was a crazy night in the Life of this Basketball Addict.
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