I was waiting for this kind of story. I knew that Kobe Bryant wouldn’t survive if they put him in back-to-back games and when they would begin to get into the nitty gritty, Kobe would start to break down.
Now I just expected some fatigue, when his whole body just feels tight and he needs a day or two to loosen up a little. But when he says that he dreads walking! That’s next level.
By taking on such a heavy load, Bryant and Coach Byron Scott had agreed during the game that Bryant would skip Monday’s game in Phoenix, so Bryant was already looking forward to a day of recovery. […] “I’m barely standing up,” Bryant said. “My back and my legs, man, it’s killing me. … I’m not looking forward to walking to the car right now,” he said. “Seriously.”
Through Bryant’s first seven appearances this season, Scott limited him to no more than 32 minutes. On Sunday he hit that early in the fourth quarter and never made as much as a move toward the bench. […] “We talked about it during the timeout,” Scott said, remembering he told Bryant, “We might as well play you the rest of this quarter then sit you out tomorrow.”
I don’t think Kobe should play until he’s feeling good, I can’t watch this guy when he’s battling his body as well as the player in front of him.
Yes you could say that “he’s always hurt” but when he says that he’s barely standing up, that’s when you should shut him down for a game or two. I’m not saying a month, just a game or two.
