The Lakers won their most important game of the season so far against the Golden State Warriors, and yet the victory that’s brought them another step closer to the playoffs is meager compared to the heartbreaking news that Kobe Bryant suffered a probable tear of his Achilles tendon, according to Lakers PR. Kobe will undergo an MRI to confirm the diagnosis, an injury that would surely sideline Kobe for the entirety of this season and likely sideline him the majority of next season, as well. Kobe expressed his deep sadness on Twitter after the game.
Random tears of devastation and doubt mixed with inner determination and will #countonfamily #countonprayer THANKU #vicodintweets comin ha!
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 13, 2013
Metta World Peace might have described this night best, saying it was a “weird ending” to a “weird day,” on Time Warner Cable SportsNet. Kobe went down with an injury on three separate occasions Friday night, each time grimacing, and each time picking himself back up. Even in the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Kobe attempted to drive past Harrison Barnes, felt a pop, and could barely walk, he somehow managed to hobble to the charity stripe and shoot free throws (to keep the game tied). Those free throws could be the last we see of Kobe Bryant playing at Staples Center for a very long time.
As painful as it is to watch, check out our video of the play that lead to the devastating news that the Lakers are most likely going to be without their leader Kobe Bryant for the rest of the season.
http://youtu.be/cqgWUiSJClA
*All quotes courtesy of the post-game coverage on Time Warner Cable SportsNet