Lakers believe Kobe Bryant suffered a torn left Achilles

[hpantazo]

D'Antoni will go down for this.  ESPN is going to shove the minutes issue down our throats.  More than conspiracies I believe in agendas and ESPN needs the lakers relevant and the lakers are more relevant/interesting when Phil Jackson is the coach.  Get ready for a lot of speculation/rumors about this.

Phil Jackson is not coming back to the lakers if Kobe is done. No chance. He's more likely to go to a team like the Knicks or even the Heat than to a Kobe-less lakers team.

Also, blaming DiAntoni makes no sense. He may suck as a coach, but it's Kobe's world in laker land and it was Kobe's choice to play a ton of minutes and push for the playoffs to prove he's still a top level player.

[RebusRankin]

Don't like him but don't wish this on anybody. Hope its not the end of his career as you don't want to see anybody go out like this.

Now I do hope Dwight leaves and they miss the playoffs for a decade....

[SHAQATTACK]

D'Antoni will go down for this.  ESPN is going to shove the minutes issue down our throats.  More than conspiracies I believe in agendas and ESPN needs the lakers relevant and the lakers are more relevant/interesting when Phil Jackson is the coach.  Get ready for a lot of speculation/rumors about this.

I see alot of Lakers fans , blaming the coach, don't see how, not his fault, Kobe wanted the minutes , Kobe could come out anytime.

ALL ON KOBE and his crazy attitude .

Kobe killed himself , with his ego and devotion.

[hpantazo]

D'Antoni will go down for this.  ESPN is going to shove the minutes issue down our throats.  More than conspiracies I believe in agendas and ESPN needs the lakers relevant and the lakers are more relevant/interesting when Phil Jackson is the coach.  Get ready for a lot of speculation/rumors about this.

I see alot of Lakers fans , blaming the coach, don't see how, not his fault, Kobe wanted the minutes , Kobe could come out anytime.

ALL ON KOBE and his crazy attitude .

Kobe killed himself , with his ego and devotion.

somewhere out there, I can hear Sir Charles saying "father time is undefeated"

[Kane3387]

I hate Kobe, but you never like to see this.

This.

Yup.

[KGs Knee]

I have to agree with the sentiment of many of the others who have posted in this thread, in regards to not wanting to see this.

I hate the Lakers with a passion, and don't like Kobe as a person.  He does deserve ultimate respect as a player, though.  Very few ever, in the history of the game, have had his skill, desire, and work ethic.

Selfishly, though, I sort of feel as if this season for the Lakers is them getting their "just deserts".  About time the Lakers have to feel the pain of the injury bug the Celtics have.  Still, a small part of me does feel bad for Kobe.

[RMO]

D'Antoni will go down for this.  ESPN is going to shove the minutes issue down our throats.  More than conspiracies I believe in agendas and ESPN needs the lakers relevant and the lakers are more relevant/interesting when Phil Jackson is the coach.  Get ready for a lot of speculation/rumors about this.

Phil Jackson is not coming back to the lakers if Kobe is done. No chance. He's more likely to go to a team like the Knicks or even the Heat than to a Kobe-less lakers team.

Also, blaming DiAntoni makes no sense. He may suck as a coach, but it's Kobe's world in laker land and it was Kobe's choice to play a ton of minutes and push for the playoffs to prove he's still a top level player.

Oh.  I agree.  I'm not saying D'Antoni is to blame but I do believe there will be a lot of talk about the minutes and blame will be pushed that way.  Regarding Jackson I don't know if he would come back but while the media puts the pressure on D'Antoni for the minutes they'll use the possibility of Jackson coming back spin.

[RMO]

I have to agree with the sentiment of many of the others who have posted in this thread, in regards to not wanting to see this.

I hate the Lakers with a passion, and don't like Kobe as a person.  He does deserve ultimate respect as a player, though.  Very few ever, in the history of the game, have had his skill, desire, and work ethic.

Selfishly, though, I sort of feel as if this season for the Lakers is them getting their "just deserts".  About time the Lakers have to feel the pain of the injury bug the Celtics have.  Still, a small part of me does feel bad for Kobe.

Yeah.  I don't like Kobe and I hate everything about the lakers but this season I begrudgingly developed a respect for him.  Doesn't seem right for him to go down like this.

Selfishly as well I don't think the lakers were getting past the first round and would've preferred them losing with him so I don't have to listen to the excuses.  Not to mention, his fans are the most delusional and annoying I've ever encountered.  Hard to feel too sorry for that fan base after the decades of good (and sometimes questionable) luck they've had.  Still, hate to see any great competitor go down this way.

[PhoSita]

I was watching the game last night - about 15-20 minutes (real time) before the injury Kobe was coming up lame from pulling his calf on that leg.  He looked hurt then but kept playing and I think the instability is what ultimately led to the tear.

I don't like Kobe either but the way he's fought the last few weeks just to get into the playoffs is exactly how we'd want our guys to act in that situation.  Dude left it all on the floor.  Still don't like him but I've gotta respect it.

I totally respect Kobe for fighting hard, but at some point playing through injuries and playing 45+ minutes a game when you're 34 is just stupid and selfish, not smart or admirable.

I'm glad we have a coach who our players respect enough to listen when he tells them to rest.  I don't doubt Paul and Kevin would be out their tearing up their legs to try to get the team a better seed if Doc wasn't here to restrain them.

[Boris Badenov]

This makes the #1 seed a lot more attractive for OKC and SAS, both of whom have 21 losses.

OKC has MIL and SAC at home.

SAS is @LAL(!), @GSW, and vs. MIN.

Season series is tied 2-2.

SAS has the edge in division record.

[fairweatherfan]

I was watching the game last night - about 15-20 minutes (real time) before the injury Kobe was coming up lame from pulling his calf on that leg.  He looked hurt then but kept playing and I think the instability is what ultimately led to the tear.

I don't like Kobe either but the way he's fought the last few weeks just to get into the playoffs is exactly how we'd want our guys to act in that situation.  Dude left it all on the floor.  Still don't like him but I've gotta respect it.

I totally respect Kobe for fighting hard, but at some point playing through injuries and playing 45+ minutes a game when you're 34 is just stupid and selfish, not smart or admirable.

I'm glad we have a coach who our players respect enough to listen when he tells them to rest.  I don't doubt Paul and Kevin would be out their tearing up their legs to try to get the team a better seed if Doc wasn't here to restrain them.

It's a little different when the "better seed" is 8 vs the lottery, though.  And I don't think it's particularly smart but it is admirable - Kobe's got absolutely nothing left to prove and could've easily written the season off, but instead he ran his body into the ground just trying to make it in.

I agree that it's D'Antoni's job to hold Kobe in check, and he's completely failed at that, probably because he's worried about his own job.  But that's on him, and the front office for not pressuring him to do it, not Kobe.

[Fan from VT]

We laugh now, but why do I have the unsettling feeling that this will start a cascade of events that leads to Andrew Wiggins in LA and living up to all his potential?

[hpantazo]

We laugh now, but why do I have the unsettling feeling that this will start a cascade of events that leads to Andrew Wiggins in LA and living up to all his potential?

highly unlikely. The lakers are in control to make the playoffs

[TripleOT]

Kobe played 38.5 mpg last year, and 38.6 minutes per game this year.  Yes, Kobe was playing ridiculous minutes the pat 10 games, but to me it just looked like a freak injury that can happen to any player at any time. 

If it is a complete achilles tear, that might be the last we see of Kobe as a Laker.  Since he's hinted that next year would be his last, Lakers ownership will  have to pay $85 million in luxtax next season.  If they re-up Howard and amnesty Kobe, they could actually get under the luxtax line with a couple of moves.  They could net $90 million by amnestying a player who probably isn't going to be ready to contribute till the spring at best.  Yes the Lakers take in a ton of revenue, with the $150 million per year in local TV revenue and huge home gate, but saving $90 million on the bottom line is going to look attractive to any owners. 

Re-up Howard, move Gasol for a solid wing and an expiring deal (Or just let Gasol expire), and go into LeBron Summer II with a franchise center and enough cap room to steal LeBron from Pat Riley.  Kobe would be free to sign with the Lakers in the summer of 2014 with either the remaining cap space or as a vet min.  That scenario is the best chance for Kobe to get another ring as a Laker. Of course, if he get amnestied, he could scare off any team claiming him, and ring chase in OKC or <shudder> Miami at the end of the 2014 season if he heals up quickly.     

[j804]

I cant stand the Lakers or Kobe but its awful, injuries suck man.