Story by Isaiah Salgado
Staff Writer
When Kobe Bryant crumpled to the floor without contact with another player, he knew it was bad. He immediately began grabbing for his right Achilles tendon.
Being the player he is, he forced himself to his feet, walked to the free throw line, draining them both.
Then he walked himself off the court and into the locker room.
After the game, Bryant said he believed he tore his Achilles and an MRI the next day confirmed his fears.
He is expected to be out for six to nine months.
Bryant isn’t the most athletic player in the NBA. Nor the tallest, fastest or strongest. Where he does shine is in his toughness and hard work.
However he could not play through this injury, which has changed the Lakers’ playoff hopes and fans’ expectations.
“I just can’t see the Lakers making any noise in the playoffs without Kobe,” junior Cristian Martinez said. “He was making all the plays and was the go to guy when things got tight.”
Bryant was the Laker offense averaging 27.3 points and 6 assists per game this season. However, this isn’t the only important role Bryant played.
“Every team needs a leader and Kobe was that leader,” junior Nicole Perez said.
The Lakers do need a leader and now that Bryant is injured, someone has to step up, whether it be Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Steve Nash.
“The Lakers are in trouble if Dwight Howard is their leader,” Martinez said. “He doesn’t demand the type of respect Kobe does and it’s going to show.”
The Lakers have played well in Bryant absence, beating both the Spurs and the Rockets without him to secure the seventh seed.
But they are missing their go to option, which was obvious during their first playoff game loss to the Spurs sunday.
Bryant injury doesn’t just affect this season, it also puts next season in question. Bryant is in his 17th season at age 34. He can’t heal the way that a young Derrick Rose can. Bryant, however, is a fighter, and if anyone could come back from this, it’s him.
“Obviously Kobe is old,” religion teacher Mr. Sean Koelle said. “He’s a superstar though. Superstars get the best medical treatment, so I think he will come back fine.”
Bryant has done the seemingly impossible time and time again. He has come out on top when the odds were against him. Now, going into what could be his last season, Lakers fans are hoping that he can do it again.
