Kobe Bryant suffered his third straight season-ending injury when he tore his rotator cuff. At 36 years old and with 19 seasons under his belt, there are now more questions than ever surrounding whether or not Kobe can come back yet again at a high level.
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At the Nike Kobe X Blackout Experience, Bryant engaged in a Q&A session and questioned whether or not he will be able to make that comeback, but said he would die trying to do it via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe Bryant on his return next season: "I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to die tryin'"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 21, 2015
Kobe has a long road ahead of him before next season begins, but he is looking to get started soon as he expects rehab to begin on Wednesday via Winters:
Next steps for Kobe Bryant: Says hopefully he gets the sling off on Tuesday and starts rehab on Wednesday
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 21, 2015
This will be an extremely difficult road to recovery for Bryant. After tearing his Achilles and dislocating his knee in the previous two seasons, Bryant returned this year and showed that he is still one of the best players in the NBA. His efficiency dropped considerably, but the Lakers surrounding Bryant with more talent this off-season could help to alleviate many of those issues.
Bryant has said that he enjoys the process in his later years. This will simply be the latest process that he has had to endure. If next season is indeed Kobe’s final one, it is good to know that he will be going out giving everything he possibly can.
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