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Kobe Bryant News & Rumors

Kobe declares right wrist healed: 'I got through it'
February 8
Orange County Register
 
"Kobe Bryant told me after Lakers practice on Wednesday the torn ligament in his right wrist is completely behind him. "I got through it," Bryant said. When I asked him if he would use the term "healed," Bryant said: "Yes." Bryant said he stopped using the pregame injection that would numb the wrist to pain two games ago in Utah on Saturday night. He then played in Philadelphia on Monday night without the supportive tape he has used all season on the wrist. Without the tape, Bryant can return to his usual shooting mechanics with full follow-through, which is particularly helpful to him on 3-pointers. "I've got more flexibility on the shot," Bryant said."
Bryant cares more about winning sixth than being fifth
February 8
L.A. Daily News
 
"Not long after he passed Shaquille O'Neal for fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list Monday in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant said the points were nice but what he really wanted was a sixth title with the Lakers. Bryant said it again during a sit-down interview with ESPN later that evening. He said it again during a radio interview Tuesday morning. He said he has no intention of leaving the only team for which he has played. "Why would I want to go someplace else?" he asked. "That ship sailed in '07 or whenever it was. If I was ever going to go play someplace else, that time is dead. I'm not going to jump ship and chase a sixth ring. I'm not going to do that. "It's either going to"
Larry Bird praises Kobe Bryant
February 7
ESPN.com
 
"Boston Celtics great Larry Bird saw the Los Angeles Lakers as the enemy during his playing days, but there's one current Laker he'd like on his side if he were playing today -- Kobe Bryant. Appearing on "The B.S. Report" with Grantland.com's Bill Simmons, Bird said that LeBron James is one of the greatest players and we should all sit back and enjoy what he can do on the basketball court. He even calls him the best player in the league, but he's not the player he would go into battle with. If he could choose any current player that he'd like to play a season with, who would it be, Bird was asked. "Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that ... well, of course he wouldn't have been"
Kobe Bryant and Lakers go cold late in 95-90 loss to Philadelphia
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant chewed on his jersey, his hands on his hips as the Philadelphia 76ers shot meaningless free throws in the final seconds. The Lakers failed in another attempt to take a bite out of a woeful road record. They surrendered a late seven-point lead amid a stunning flurry of missed shots, most of them by Bryant, in a 95-90 loss Monday at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia fans booed Bryant in his hometown, as always, when he was introduced before the game. Then they jeered in the end. The Lakers are now 14-11, 3-9 on the road."
Kobe Bryant passes Shaquille O'Neal on NBA all-time scoring list
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"Maybe Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal will eventually look back on what could have been accomplished. For now, the weird, cautious chasm continues between two of the best in Lakers history. Bryant passed O'Neal for fifth on the NBA's all-time scoring list Monday, and O'Neal was one of the first to send an opinion on Twitter. "Congrats to Kobe for being the greatest laker ever," he wrote in a conciliatory tone. "Thanks for making us the greatest laker one two punch ever and congrats on passin me up 2.""
Sixers spoil Kobe's milestone with comeback win
February 7
CSN Philly
 
"The easy thing to do would have been to change it up, or worse, panic. With Kobe Bryant seemingly unable to miss a shot during the first half of the Sixers' Monday night showdown against the Lakers, no one would have been surprised if coach Doug Collins made some changes. Yet even with Bryant dropping 24 points on the Sixers during the first half of the game at the Center, including 20 points in the first 17 minutes of the game, Collins' club stuck with the game plan. No, he didn't look at Bryant's big half as an aberration, but he knew it wasn't a dagger. "Kobe was incredible in that first half. They had five threes and he had four of them," Collins said. "Three of them were"
Is it finally time to stop hating Kobe?
February 7
CSN Philly
 columnist John Gonzalez
"The initial reaction wasn't surprising. The introduction was made and the response was the same as it almost always is – unwelcoming, as though the mere mention of his name was an affront to certain people in the crowd. Kobe Bryant was in town. Kobe Bryant was booed. And yet it wasn't as bad as it used to be. The animosity wasn't as universal or long lasting as it was during the infamous All-Star Game held here years ago when Bryant was named MVP and subjected to serious scorn for his effort. There were plenty of Lakers fans in attendance on Monday to offset the usual negativity, as well as more than a few locals who perhaps don't see the point in shouting down a guy who grew up in the"
Sixers crash Kobe's party
February 7
Courier-Post
 
"The Sixers, along with every team in the NBA, had seen Kobe Bryant take over games. The Sixers saw it in the first half alone, when Bryant scored 24 points by hitting shots from seemingly every angle. But it wasn't Bryant, the Lakers' star, who took over the game Monday night. Instead, it was Sixers guard Lou Williams, much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 20,064, who chanted "Beat L.A! Beat L.A.!" down the stretch."
LAKERS NOTEBOOK: Not many happy returns to Philly left for Kobe Bryant in NBA career
February 6
L.A. Daily News
 
"He was raised out past the city limits, in the leafy suburbs, the son of an NBA player who played for the local team and then departed for a short stint in Italy. When his family returned, he became something of a local high school sensation. Kobe Bryant made another return to his hometown Sunday. The Lakers play the Philadelphia 76 ers, his father's old team, tonight. How many more returns Bryant makes are anyone's guess. "There's not many," the 33-year-old Bryant told reporters Saturday after the Lakers' loss to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City in the second game of their six-game trek around North America. "You can definitely count them on one hand." Tonight's homecoming could be"
Bryant, Bynum, Paul and Griffin lead All-Star picks
February 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"It's an L.A. All-Star team all right. The NBA announced today on TNT the starters for its All-Star game and the West squad is full of Lakers and Clippers. The West team's starting five, based on fan voting, are: guards Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and Chris Paul (Clippers), forwards Blake Griffin (Clippers) and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), and center Andrew Bynum (Lakers)."
Goudelock could become a Mini-Mamba according to Bryant
February 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Mini-Mamba? G-Lock? New Drew? You're free to call rookie guard Andrew Goudelock any of the above. Just don't call him Goo. Everyone seems to have trouble with his last name, which is pronounced Gowd-lock. Lakers coach Mike Brown mispronounces it occasionally, even as he continues to ask for more minutes and more points from the 23-year-old second-round draft pick. Goudelock has played so well in the past four games, averaging 11.5 points on 17-for-34 shooting, that he could force the Lakers to call off their search for help in the backcourt. He's given their second unit a big boost since returning to the rotation."
Kobe Bryant looking to gain some playoff momentum
February 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers have played one-third of their games and would be on the road if the playoffs began today. They might want to change that between now and April 26. Maybe the Black Mamba was playing possum, but Kobe Bryant all but conceded the top two spots in the Western Conference, saying the Lakers have endured too many alterations in the off-season to be atop the West. "Because of the changes in the players and so forth, you just can't come out of the gates and fight for a 1 seed or a 2 seed," he said. "That's just not realistic, but we want to build and get better and go into the playoffs with momentum.""
Report: Bryant lets Howard know who's team it is
January 20
CBSSports.com
 
"There are various rules and regulations that prohibit NBA teams and players from talking to one another in regards to recruiting for a trade. But when that player has been given permission to talk to other teams, that all goes out the window. Such is the case with Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant, who have apparently become like teenage girls gabbing on the phone with Howard weighing where he wants to be traded to, if at all. Unfortuntely for Lakers fans, it doesn't sound like Bryant's doing a great job as a pitch man. From the Los Angeles Times: Kobe Bryant has had at least one in-depth phone conversation with Howard recently, even discussing how Howard might fit in with the Lakers'"
Miami Heat's LeBron James, Lakers' Kobe Bryant are like two passing ships
January 20
Miami Herald
 
"You know those moments when you'd give almost any amount of money to be on an NBA basketball court just to hear what's being said? One of those happened Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. It wasn't when LeBron James almost flattened Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria in the first half. That brief exchange probably went something like this: LeBron: "Sorry, dude who I don't know." Loria: "Ouch.""
Miami Heat's LeBron James dazzles while Kobe Bryant fizzles
January 20
Miami Herald
 
"Miami's Freedom Tower was all lit up in Miami Heat red and Miami's basketball fans were all glammed up in anticipation of the big game. The Los Angeles Lakers were in town. That could mean only one thing: A marquee matchup between two of the NBA's celebrated teams and their two celebrity stars, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Thursday's game would be a continuation of a cross-country rivalry that started when Shaquille O'Neal forsook Bryant, gave the Big Adios to Hollywood and moved to the Magic City."
LeBron, Heat leave Lakers, Kobe feeling ill with 98-87 victory
January 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"LeBron James balked at the implication going in, that this somehow was himself vs. Kobe Bryant, even with Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade again sidelined by a balky right ankle. James then nearly made the debate moot when he missed the morning shootaround with flu symptoms. Ultimately, James found himself with ample support, in a 98-87 victory Thursday night over the Los Angeles Lakers that lifted the Heat to 5-0 in Wade's absence this season and 10-4 overall. "I just wanted to be there for my teammates," he said, after finishing with 31 points, eight rebound and eight assists."
LeBron owns night against Kobe
January 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 columnist David Hyde
"There was this fascinating scene at the end of the first half that spoke of the larger night and, beyond that, to the season the Heat wants to play out. LeBron James was guarded by Kobe Bryant, just as you'd want, as the night asked. Bryant recently said only Chris Paul and Derrick Rose were clutch players in his mold. That's not the stage LeBron wants a debate to be on just now. Kobe has a career portfolio for winning big moments. LeBron is defined by his Dallas disappearance until the next Finals."
Michael Jordan thinks only Kobe Bryant deserves comparisons
January 18
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Ever since Michael Jordan retired — all three times, really — the NBA has searched for the heir to his throne. Many players have popped up as pretenders to the throne, from Harold Miner to Jerry Stackhouse to Vince Carter. In recent years, people have stopped trying to find a clone and just searched for a similarly dominant great player. If you ever wondered why LeBron James is seen as such a failure, a lot of it has to do with his inability to meet the example set by Jordan. There are many great players in the NBA these days, most of whom have never been directly compared to Jordan. Nevertheless, His Airness says only one player comes close enough to his greatness to merit the comparison."
Kobe Bryant's playing time is a concern for Lakers
January 18
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant's wrist pain is obviously tolerable. So is his historically troublesome knee. What's creeping up now on him is playing time. There's been a lot of it. Forty-three minutes at Utah. Forty-one at home against Cleveland. Forty-four against the Clippers. He finally took a break with 38 minutes against Dallas on Monday. Only, that's not really a break. He is playing 37.7 minutes a game this season, way up from 33.9 minutes last season and more than his career average of 36.4."
Kobe Bryant makes a pass at helping the Lakers win
January 17
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"Here's what I saw the other night in the second half against the Clippers: The Ball Hog came to the conclusion he had to win the game if the Lakers were going to prevail. It was as if he didn't notice the Lakers' 7-footers were on the court; everyone else was invisible as well. The offense began and ended with Kobe Bryant scoring or not. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, who stand closest to the basket, combined for 10 shots in the second half; Bryant had 17. Someone might say Bryant was just trying to keep his record intact of scoring 40 points or more, but not this time."
Bryant keeps his 40-point plans going
January 14
L.A. Daily News
 
"Before they face the Clippers tonight in what looms as the most intriguing game in the remarkably unremarkable history of the Hallway Series, the Lakers had a little business to handle Friday at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant made it look less like work and more like play when he scored 40-plus points for the third consecutive game in the Lakers' fifth consecutive victory, a 97-92 grind over the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997. Bryant scored 42 points on 15-for-31 shooting, two nights after he had 40 points in the Lakers' overtime victory over Utah and three nights after he dropped a season-high 48points on Phoenix in a win. It's his longest scoring binge since he"
Kobe Bryant helps make night special for Mike Brown and Lakers
January 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"Mike Brown wasn't overly sentimental about it. He won everything but a championship in his five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, got fired and moved on. There are bigger issues in the world, he said, than an NBA coach losing his job. Of course, it's easy to put a positive spin on just about anything these days given the way things are going for Brown's Lakers and their superstar. Kobe Bryant wowed again with 42 points Friday night at Staples Center during the Lakers' 97-92 victory, making Brown a winner in his first game against Cleveland since the Cavaliers fired him after the 2010 season. Bryant made 15 of 31 shots, including four of seven three-point attempts, continuing a"
Kobe Bryant says wrist getting stronger
January 14
ESPN.com
 
"Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is on a scoring tear and his injured right wrist is starting to heal. "The wrist's feeling stronger," Bryant said Friday after scoring 42 points in the Lakers' 97-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "I'm feeling stronger, I'm feeling more comfortable. ... It's getting a lot better." Bryant suffered a tear of the lunotriquetral ligament in his right (shooting) wrist during the preseason. The injury showed at times -- most notably when he coughed up eight turnovers in a season-opening loss to Chicago and later when he shot just 6-for-28 against Denver -- but Bryant seems to have the ailment in check based on his recent performances. It was Bryant's third"
Kobe: Wrist is improving and will be 'fine' this season
January 12
Orange County Register
 
"The ultimate thrill seeker has been having so much bleeping fun meeting this particular challenge that he's going to be a little sorry to see it go. Poor Kobe Bryant. The torn lunotriquetral ligament in his right wrist is actually healing. Even as he revealed his seemingly good news about the wrist improving despite all this abuse he has put it through to stand as the NBA's 33-year-old scoring leader, Bryant practically scoffed late Wednesday night at the actual importance of him being 100 percent again. "I scored back-to-back 40's with a (bleeped)-up wrist," Bryant said, his eyes still gleaming at the just-completed achievement. "What does it matter if it's still (bleeped)-up in the"
Bryant, Bell renew rivalry
January 12
Salt Lake Tribune
 
"Through four quarters and a five-minute overtime, Kobe Bryant and Raja Bell fought and clawed with each other. Bell incurred a technical foul in the first period. The two pushed and shoved each other at the end of regulation. The competition reached a fever pitch on more than one occasion. And then, following the Lakers 90-87 win over the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena on Wednesday night, the two went at it again in their respective locker rooms. First, Bell weighed in. "If he's going to take 31 shots to get 40, then that's pretty much all you can do. Anyone shooting 31 shots should score 40.""
LAKERS 99, PHOENIX 83: It's a great 48 from Bryant in L.A.'s victory
January 11
L.A. Daily News
 
"Star scores season-high 48 points in victory. His pinky is damaged. So is his forefinger. His wrist is missing a ligament. Overall, his right hand looks bloated and misshapen. Lately, he's been wearing something that looks like an oven mitt on his hand for off-court protection. Against all medical odds, however, everything seems to be functioning properly. Kobe Bryant still can put a basketball through a hoop. Again and again and again, as he proved while dropping a cool 48 points on the helpless Phoenix Suns during the Lakers' electric 99-83 victory Tuesday in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center."
Kobe Bryant scores 48 points to carry Lakers past Suns, 99-83
January 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers were scattered everywhere Tuesday, one player too nauseated to play, another celebrating the birth of twin daughters, yet another still fighting a turf-toe injury. But Kobe Bryant suited up. He turned back the clock with 48 points Tuesday, looking as spry as ever in the Lakers' 99-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center."
Kobe Bryant scores 48 points to carry Lakers past Suns, 99-83
January 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers were scattered everywhere Tuesday, one player too nauseated to play, another celebrating the birth of twin daughters, yet another still fighting a turf-toe injury. But Kobe Bryant suited up. He turned back the clock with 48 points Tuesday, looking as spry as ever in the Lakers' 99-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. Bryant recognized the Lakers needs, making 18 of 31 shots and 12 of 13 from the free throw line for the biggest scoring outburst of any NBA player this season. It was the 108th 40-point game of Bryant's career, his first this season after only three last season."
Kobe Bryant practices; Josh McRoberts remains sidelined
January 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"In yet another sign that any pain from the torn ligament in his right wrist won't deter him from playing, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant participated in almost a full practice Monday and will surely play in Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns. In yet another sign that the pain in his sprained left big toe has not subsided, Lakers forward Josh McRoberts sat out Monday's practice and will remained sidelined against Phoenix. That will mark the fifth consecutive game he will miss because of his injury."
Kobe Bryant won't have medical procedure on right wrist
January 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"-The Times' Mike Bresnahan finds plenty to scrutinize in the Lakers' 90-82 victory Sunday over the Memphis Grizzlies. Bresnahan also reports that Kobe Bryant won't undergo the same medical procedure on his wrist that he had on his knee and ankle in Germany last year, for a variety of reasons. German doctor Peter Wehling won't travel to the United States. It's also unrealistic for Bryant to arrange an overseas trip during the regular season and NBA All-Star weekend."
Kobe sees few cracks in championship foundation
January 9
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Everyone else on the Los Angeles Lakers had left and gone home Sunday night, and finally Kobe Bryant was on his way, too. He had slid into a side room to visit with a child from the Make a Wish Foundation, and now walked down the long corridor toward the Staples Center loading dock. A text message popped into his phone. It was coach Mike Brown, and he wanted to run something past his star player. Bryant stopped and asked a locker room attendant: "Hey, is Mike still here?" Told yes, Bryant turned around and marched back through the double steel doors and disappeared into Brown's office for a 20-minute consult. For Bryant, it's a different dynamic with a coach, a partnership born on his own"
Kobe Bryant scores 39 points to lead the Lakers past the Warriors
January 7
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Warriors, playing without two starters, concluded their winless three-game trip with a 97-90 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Golden State (2-5) has dropped four straight and heads home to face Utah on Saturday trying keep things from spiraling out of control while it gets healthy, builds team chemistry and learns how to win. "It's a long season," Warriors guard Monta Ellis said after totaling 18 points and 10 assists. "We're going to turn that corner eventually. It's just a learning experience right now. ... We're right there, man. I feel strong about my team." The Warriors played without starting point guard Stephen Curry, who sprained his right ankle on Wednesday against"
Kobe Bryant taking pain-killing injections in wrist, coach Mike Brown says
January 7
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kobe Bryant has received pain-killing injections before every game since tearing a ligament in his right wrist Dec. 19, Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed less than 90 minutes before Friday night's contest against the Golden State Warriors. Bryant hasn't missed a regular-season game since he was hurt in a fall in the Lakers' exhibition loss to the Clippers at Staples Center. He was advised to rest his wrist and that surgery would not correct the problem. Bryant wasn't immediately available for comment. Brown said he wasn't concerned because Bryant and the team's medical personnel aren't concerned, adding, "I believe in our training staff and I believe in our doctors, so they're telling me"
Behind Bryant's season-high 39 points, L.A. holds off late Golden State rally
January 7
L.A. Daily News
 
"Once they stopped meandering here and there, and they started to play with a sense of purpose, the Lakers suddenly appeared capable of defeating the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at Staples Center. Once they began to handle the ball as if it mattered, and they started making shots they usually make, they produced a superb ending to the third quarter en route to a 97-90 victory as a sellout crowd of 18,997 exhaled in relief. The Lakers led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter before things got tight and the Warriors crept within four points inside the final minute. The Lakers refused to give away the game and won for the fifth time in nine contests to start 2011-12. "This"
Wrist injections keeping Kobe's drive alive
January 5
Orange County Register
 
"It's fitting that Mike Brown hung up that Jacob Riis quote in a frame on the wall space of the Lakers' locker room right next to where Kobe Bryant gears up and winds down every game. It's there that you'll always find the special calf stretch block for added protection against resultant injuries to the ankles and knees. Then there is the oversized training basketball Bryant uses to prepare better for handling the regulation ball. After each game there'll be the tub of ice water for Bryant's ankles and monster ice packs bound over both knees with a timer for military precision on how long everything must stay chilled. These days, over Bryant's right wrist also rests a fat postgame ice wrap"
Lakers 108, Rockets 99: Kobe and Co. take over in fourth quarter
January 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"There were jumpers from a step inside the 3-point arc, and at least a step or two beyond. But while the Lakers and Rockets fired away from the perimeter, there was a marked difference. The Lakers took two kinds of shots the Rockets could not. They took wide-open shots, set up by the strength inside and the attention it commanded. And they took Kobe Bryant shots, seemingly made more unstoppable when the game reached its closing minutes. The Rockets could give chase through the night, but down the stretch, when Bryant began posting up for turnaround jumpers and cutting to open spots on the floor, the Rockets had no answer and the Lakers pulled away for a 108-99 win Tuesday at Staples Center."
Bryant has 37 points and Bynum has 21 points and 22 rebounds, his first 20-20 night
January 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"It's not quite Magic and Kareem, or even Kobe and Shaq, but the Lakers are rapidly finding a tough-to-top 1-2 combo. Kobe Bryant shook off a two-game shooting slump with 37 points and Andrew Bynum shook up the Houston Rockets with his first 20-20 game. Not surprisingly, the Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets, 108-99, Tuesday at Staples Center. Bynum started the season late because of his well-publicized four-game suspension, but he has arrived on time, putting up averages of 22.7 points and 17 rebounds in three games. He had 21 points and 22 rebounds in 38 minutes against Houston, dominating down low yet again and evoking a cut-and-paste observation from Bryant."
Bryant plays through pain in win
January 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"The saga of the wrist continued Tuesday night at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant removed the protective sleeve on his right arm, revealing a heavy tape job on his damaged wrist, and then he went out and almost made as many shots as he missed while leading the Lakers to a 108-99 victory over the Houston Rockets. Bryant scored a season-high 37 points, including 22 in the second half, and also grabbed eight rebounds and added sixassists in 36 minutes, 51 seconds. He made 14 of 29 shots, including 9 of 15 after halftime. Lakers Nation breathed an enormous sigh of relief. "I'm always trying to prove a point," Bryant said after scoring nine points on 4-for-8 shooting in the final 6 minutes,"
Lakers' Mike Brown is 'OK with most of' Kobe Bryant's shots
January 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rough air couldn't be blamed for a few bumpy moments on the Lakers' flight back from Denver late Sunday night. They came courtesy of the replay of the Lakers' 99-90 loss to the Denver Nuggets that Kobe Bryant watched with Coach Mike Brown. What galled them wasn't Bryant's six-for-28 shooting performance as much as the Lakers' inability to stop the Nuggets from scoring easy baskets in transition off missed shots, particularly late in the game."
Bryant becomes youngest NBA player to reach 28,000-point mark
January 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kobe Bryant reached a milestone, then skipped out of a postgame interview after the Lakers' loss Sunday to the Denver Nuggets. He scored his 28,000th point when he sank a free throw with 10:43 left in the third quarter. At 33 years, 131 days, he is the youngest to score that many points. Bryant's scoring statistics are staggering. Only five players in league history have scored more points than Bryant, who trails only Shaquille O'Neal (28,596), Wilt Chamberlain (31,419), Michael Jordan (32,292), Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) on the all-time list. Jordan and Bryant are the only guards in the top six, however. Bryant has said Abdul-Jabbar could be impossible to catch"
Kobe hits 28K, but Nuggets top Lakers
January 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"A new year brought some unpleasant change for the Lakers. Their defense slackened and they couldn't hold a lead in the final minutes. One constant remained: Kobe Bryant continued to miss. The star shooting guard endured a second consecutive subpar game Sunday at the Pepsi Center during the Lakers' 99-90 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Bryant slogged his way past the 28,000-point barrier in his career, scoring 16 points on six-for-28 shooting. He made only one of eight three-point attempts and has made an abysmal 12 of 46 shots overall in his last two games. Bryant left the locker room without speaking to reporters. Coach Mike Brown shouldered part of the blame for a loss that dropped the"
Bryant says Orthokine procedure effective in easing knee pain
December 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"The only thing Kobe Bryant hates more than losing is talking about his many injuries, so after a mob of reporters descended upon him before the Lakers' faced the New York Knicks on Thursday, he asked for a little help from a team official. "This is a long five minutes, isn't it?" he asked media relations czar John Black. Bryant spoke for the first time about his offseason trip to Germany to have a relatively new procedure called Orthokine performed on his ailing right knee. It is similar to platelet-rich plasma therapy, an increasing popular blood procedure among athletes. In Bryant's case, it helped ease the pain in his arthritic knee, restoring his explosiveness. Last season, he"
Bryant scores 28 as L.A. wins second in a row after 0-2 start
December 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kobe Bryant went this way in the third quarter Thursday night. Ronaldo Balkman of the New York Knicks went that way. Bryant then went that way but Balkman went this way. By the time Bryant was done twisting his overmatched opponent into a pretzel, he had swished a pretty jump shot from along the baseline over him and the Lakers were well on their way to a 99-82 victory over the Knicks at Staples Center. Minutes earlier, Bryant had drawn a foul on Balkman while launching a desperation 3-pointer that banked home from an estimated 31 feet. Bryant sank the ensuing free throw for a 4-point play, part of his team-leading 28 points. Bryant went into the Lakers' fourth game of the lockout-delayed"
A healthier Kobe Bryant is giving Lakers a big lift
December 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant claimed to be almost 100%. Then he went out and scored 28 points. Tough to argue with him. His lift will never be quite what it was, but the arthritic joint isn't hurting in his formerly ailing right knee, providing a boost to his game and his team when the Lakers needed it. They survived Andrew Bynum's four-game suspension and emerged with a 2-2 record after a 99-82 victory Thursday over the defenseless New York Knicks at Staples Center."
Why Kobe Bryant's Days as a Top-Five NBA Star Are over
December 28
Bleacher Report
 columnist Kelly Scatetta
"Kobe Bryant may still be a top-10 NBA star, but his days in the top five are over. Every star eventually fades and Kobe's brightest days are in the past. First, let me say what I'm not saying. This is necessary because in the world of the Internet, if you don't explicitly say you aren't saying something, there will be those that feel it is implied, or at least feel the freedom to imply it is your "real meaning." I am not saying that Kobe is "overrated." He is one of the 10 greatest players in the history of the game. Personally, I think that the whole conversation of "G.O.A.T." can become entirely too rigid with people yelling back and forth "How can you say Larry Bird is better than"
Lakers can't rely solely on Kobe Bryant this season
December 26
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"In the final seconds of what had been three hours worth of jingle bell rock, the metaphor was as plain as the gasp that silenced it. Kobe Bryant was trapped. The Lakers' best player held the ball and a chance to clinch a rousing opening-day Christmas victory against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, but he was trapped. There were 20 ticks remaining. The Lakers led by one point. Bryant was surrounded by Bulls. His coach said he should have waited to get fouled. Bryant said he didn't have a choice. Bryant tried to throw the ball to someone, but nobody was there. The pass was stolen. Derrick Rose sank a running hook shot. The Lakers lost. And Kobe Bryant is still trapped. For all the good Lakers"
Report: Kobe Bryant saw German doc
December 26
ESPN.com
 
"Kobe Bryant traveled to Germany in October to undergo an innovative procedure on his left ankle, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. It was Bryant's second such trip during the offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers guard underwent an experimental but increasingly popular procedure in Germany in July in an attempt to help heal his oft-injured right knee, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com at that time. The procedure, called platelet-rich plasma therapy, consists of centrifuging the patient's blood to isolate platelets and growth factors. The mix is then injected into the injured area to accelerate healing. The concentrated growth factors have been shown to speed tissue growth and healing in"
Lakers' Kobe Bryant will do whatever it takes
December 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant felt his body falling apart, so he did something about it. Twice. Bryant went to Germany on two occasions during the off-season, The Times has learned, undergoing innovative procedures on his ailing right knee and, in a previously unreported development, his chronically troublesome left ankle, according to people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly. Bryant aggravated his ankle while moving across the lane on defense in the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Hornets last season. It was a non-contact injury, his foot buckling under him without any contact. He left the arena that night on crutches but did not sit out"
Teammates must compensate for Kobe Bryant's injury
December 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant continues to evolve, looking at infinite ways to maintain dominance despite the overwhelming obstacles thrown his way. Father time. The heavy basketball mileage. The injuries. Yup, he's handled it all with a mixed exercise. Sometimes his competitiveness and intense work ethic have helped him overcome those injuries and squeeze out more production. Sometimes his refusal to sit out of games exacerbates his uneven play and hurts his health. Sometimes both scenarios have played out with the same injury."