Report: Lakers Expect Kobe Bryant to Miss Rest of Season

Thursday, the Lakers announced that Kobe Bryant has a torn rotator cuff and will require surgery. According to ESPN Los Angeles reporter Ramona Shelburne, surgery means that Kobe will shut it down for the remainder of the season. The Lakers, she says, are preparing to be without Bryant for the rest of the year. Via Twitter:

All that being said, Shelburne reported yesterday that this news would, if anything, indicate Kobe is coming back next year, not retiring: