— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) December 19, 2013
Before Bryant went down with the knee injury, the veteran shooting guard had missed eight months due to the torn Achilles tendon that threatened to end his career prematurely. Although many speculated the end of an era in Los Angeles with Bryant potentially being unable to bounce back, the future Hall of Famer remained vigilant in his attempt to shock the world.
With the latest setback, Bryant will be tested once again, but it comes as no surprise that he’s up for the challenge.
As a result of the latest injury, Bryant will miss at least 22 games and may not get back on the floor until February. The timing of his potential return is interesting to say the least with the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 20 and Dwight Howard’s return to Los Angeles a day earlier on Feb. 19.
Even though the Lakers have reportedly taken Pau Gasol off the trading block, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the team trades the veteran center before the deadline if the team simply can’t stay afloat without Bryant. If that turns out to be the case, Gasol may have played his last game alongside Bryant.
At this point in time, anything can happen moving forward with everything is in play. Trades could go down, more injuries could occur and Bryant may ultimately be shutdown for the season or possibly even the rest of his career.
Despite an uncertain future, Bryant continues to stay strong and reluctant to bow down to father time.
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Lakers News: Kobe Bryant Out Six Weeks With Fracture In Knee