This, from ESPN:
Kobe Bryant left the Lakers 96-91 win in Dallas with 1 minute, 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter after falling awkwardly on his left ankle. The 15-year veteran went immediately to the locker room, limping heavily, to have it evaluated.
"I thought I was done, like done," Bryant said after the game, fearing he would be out for the rest of the season after suffering what he described as the scariest sprain he's ever had. "I was just praying that when I stood up my foot was lined up straight ... That scared the (crap) out of me. I thought I dislocated it.
"We were all pretty scared (crap)less, to be honest with you because it looked horrible and it felt worse."
Bryant fell to the floor after having the ball slapped away from him by Shawn Marion. While Jason Kidd converted the turnover into a layup, Bryant remained on the floor in obvious pain.
After getting up, Bryant was limping when he took a few steps and called timeout.
"As soon as I stood up I was excited that my foot was still straight," Bryant said. "I was happy to see that it was lined up and then I walked in [the locker room] and said, 'OK, maybe it's just a sprained ankle and I can deal with it.'"
To me, this quote is kind of emblematic of the way I see Kobe. We as Celtics fans hate him, for whatever reasons..may they be moral because of past wrongs he's allegedly done (and I say allegedly not to confirm nor deny actual blame...just a legal definition), or just simply because he's a Laker..but the one thing you cannot discount is that Kobe cares.
Does he care because he cares that much about his team, or because he cares that much about his own personal career? I dunno, I'm not a mind reader..but one thing is clear..he cares. And if Paul Pierce had a similar injury, I'd be proud if he had a similar reaction.
