You don’t need a medical degree to see why Lakers’ trainer Gary Viti suggested Kobe Bryant take a couple of weeks off. Kobe has already blown out his Achilles tendon once, and on Sunday night he pulled out of a game in Utah, not playing the second half because of a sore Achilles. Kobe was 2-of-8 for five points in the first half.
Does that mean Kobe is going to follow Viti’s advice? No. From Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.“Two weeks is a long time. It doesn’t feel like a two-week injury,” said Bryant, who reported improvement in his right shoulder. “I’ve had those before. This doesn’t feel that way.”
Instead, Bryant reported his Achilles “jammed up” and he “couldn’t get it loose.”
We know coach Byron Scott isn’t going to force Kobe to sit. That’s not how their power dynamic works.
The Lakers play Sunday in Los Angeles against Houston and it certainly is possible, even likely, Kobe is in street clothes for that one. After that the Lakers host the Kings on Wednesday, and then the Spurs on Friday. Kobe is enjoying his farewell tour — I love that the Utah fans booed him Saturday — and doesn’t want to sit out games, but he’s going to need to miss some just to get his body in a shape for what is still half a season remaining.
