Despite of a torn ligament in the right wrist, Los Angeles Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant is eager to get back to action this Sunday against last year’s Eastern Conference finalists, Chicago Bulls .....
Kobe Bryant doesn’t like to miss NBA games, especially when they are on Christmas.
The man who has played 1,103 out of a 1,230 games in his career and started in all 82 game last season despite of a trouble right knee, tore a ligament in his right wrist in the first warm up game against the Los Angeles Clippers
earlier this week.
After an MRI, the injury was diagnosed as torn lunotriquetral ligament and has caused a huge swelling on Kobe wrist. That however will not stop the ace shooting guard from participating in the marquee clash against Derrick Rose
and his Chicago Bulls on Christmas night.
Bryant, who was wearing a protective/icing cover on his wrist, did not participate in Thursday’s practice, but spoke to the media later. Re-iterating his will to play in the season opener, he said;
"I should be fine," said Bryant after Lakers practice Thursday. "... It's always been in my nature to try to figure out a way to play. The injuries that I've had, I've been fortunate enough to be able to play through them because
I haven't had injuries where they could get worse the more I played on them."
Bryant was injured early in the third quarter in the game on Monday, when an attempted layup by him was rejected by the Clippers centre DeAndre Jordan. Bryant hit the floor hard and in attempt to protect himself with the hands,
injured the right one. He did not return to the game after that.
The injury comes after Kobe had claimed earlier this week that his niggling right knee has nearly cured after he underwent an experimental procedure on it in Germany, during the off season. The ailment he has suffered now is basically
the breakage of the ligament that connects the bones of his wrist and that forced him to miss the second pre-season game against their Californian rivals on Wednesday.
Lakers coach Mike Brown also appreciated Bryant’s will to play and said he also anticipated Kobe’s return, come Sunday.
"You know, you talk about a guy with a high tolerance of pain, it's Kobe. So nothing would surprise me at this point, in terms of him playing or not playing."
However, if the Black Mamba fails to recover in time, he has a back plan up his sleeve;
"He didn't practice today, so when we scripted and did drills, obviously with him not on the floor, we went with the lineup that didn't have him in it," Brown said. "So either way, I think our guys will be ready to play."
If Kobe does make it for the Chicago game, it will provide a much needed boost to the Lakers against a team that boasts of the reigning MVP and has looked relentless so far in the pre-season.
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