Bryant Declines Surgery

[baller4life]

NBA officials are still planning for Kobe Bryant to play in Sunday’s All-Star game after the Los Angeles Lakers announced that their star has decided to forgo surgery on his injured right pinkie.

While Bryant has pulled out of the three-point contest, league officials said Thursday evening they expect the Western Conference’s leading vote-getter to play on Sunday in New Orleans.


Even if Bryant would prefer to skip the All-Star game to rest, he would have a difficult time convincing the league to give him a pass because he played Wednesday against Minnesota and, for now, hopes to also play in the Lakers’ game against Atlanta on Tuesday. One league official described it as "standard procedure" for a player to have to participate in the All-Star game if he played in his team’s games leading up to the break and isn’t definitely sidelined for subsequent games.

The Lakers announced Thursday that Bryant had been diagnosed with a complete tear of his radial collateral ligament and an avulsion fracture, in which a small fragment of bone had been pulled off by a tendon. The team said Bryant will try to play through the injury rather than have surgery, which could sideline him up to six weeks.

Bryant initially injured his pinkie on Feb. 5, at which time it was diagnosed as a dislocation. He aggravated the injury Wednesday night against the Timberwolves.

"My current thinking is to give my finger some treatment and rest for a few days, and hope I can still continue to compete at a high level after that rest," Bryant said in a statement released by the team. "I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer's Olympic Games. But, this is an injury that myself and the Lakers' medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis."

Dirk Nowitzki will replace Bryant in the three-point contest

[¤°~ Jose ~¤°©]

man i just hope he doesn't have surgery that'll keep him out 6 weeks.. hope its until after the season is over, but just hope he doesn't injure it more than it already is, man this sux, although i know Kobe is a warrior i know he can play thru pain cuz i know the greatest players like Magic and Jordan played thru pain, but i just hope Kobe doesn't play in the All-Star Game he needs the rest just hope the league can give him clearance of not playing cuz the NBA isn't looking to replace Bryant in the Western Conference sqaud let him rest damnit..