Friday, January 7th, 2011 at 3:05 pm  |  71 responses

Kobe Bryant’s Right Knee Is ‘Almost Bone on Bone’

With the condition his body has been in over the last few years, the fact that Bryant can walk straight, let alone play at a superhuman level, is simply incredible. The NY Post has the latest: “Kobe appeared to know exactly what was ailing his two-time defending team. Minutes after being manhandled by the Heat, he pronounced he was going to ‘kick [butt] at practice … and beat it into their heads. It was time to get the team focused.’ Which brings us to the crux of my inquiry. How did Kobe propose to pull that off, a Lakers’ legionnaire wondered, ‘when he hasn’t practiced the whole season (something no member of LA’s press has called him out on)?” Is that true, I asked Kobe? ‘Yeah.’ Why? ‘Because I have very little cartilage under my right knee cap, it’s almost bone on bone.’ Bryant has undergone three operations on that same knee, one this past offseason, after having it drained several times during last year’s playoffs. ”Until I got it drained the first time during the opening round against the Thunder I could not bend that knee at all,’ he revealed. ‘It was swollen as hell and it hurt like hell. Luckily things got a lot better once I had the procedure.’ Kobe is 32. This is his 15th season. Including the regular season, the after-party and All-Star Games, he has played a total of 46,660 minutes … ‘You know how competitive and combative I am on the court,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing I like better than to practice. In fact, I like practice more than the games, because I get to go at my teammates hard. That’s when you find out what they’re made of, how much you can push some to get the most out of ’em, and how you have to back off others so you don’t lose ’em. So, in order to protect my knee and avoid a situation like last year, we decided before the season to sacrifice the team’s intensity by minimizing wear and tear as much as possible.’”

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  • nyemah2k

    first!!

  • nyemah2k

    now that we got that out off the way, lol. man, I think Kobe has about two quality years left and than he will be a shell of himself.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    Before the clowns come through and start talking about his “warrior” mentality, I can honestly say I feel for the dude. How much longer can he be expected to play at the level expected of him with this type of body breakdown? Within 2-3 seasons, dude’s going to have little lift left and his speed with be totally set to neutral. His minutes need heavy reduction too….not just practice time. Let’s not sugarcoat the obvious. Perhaps him not practicing has had an adverse affect on the teams play and maybe it doesn’t stem from other things people have speculated about.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Myles Brown

    Yes.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    If Kobe took fewer shots, posted up even more, and concentrated more on passing, he could still be an elite offensive wing for four years. Apparently, his pain tolerance is really high, so it’s all about him taking the shots that make life easier for him.
    He has declined, but I think some of it ahs been exagerrated. Dude is too skilled, it’s all about mindset right now for him. He refuses to do certain things and still believes he can flip that switch.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    You can be a jump shooter and still be efficient and still be dominant. It’s about the jump shots you take, not the fact that you are taking jumpshots.

  • JD

    cool better do the paper thing or something even better in the real dunk contest

  • http://www.nba.com Gman

    I have a solution for Kobe….. Copy Jordan again….but this time to save your knees.

    Bulk and just be a post player.

  • JL

    a peek into the crystal ball reveals kobe just like brandon roy in 2 years.

  • Clement

    Kobe doesn’t have to practice? Somewhere in Turkey Allen Iverson is super-jealous

  • Fat Lever

    According to my math, he’s played in 188 postseason games, which essentially means he’s played 17+ seasons at this point. Really not surprised that we’re at this point with Kobe. He’s an “old” 32.

  • Fat Lever

    According to my math, he’s played in 198 postseason games, which essentially means he’s played 17+ seasons at this point. Really not surprised that we’re at this point with Kobe. He’s an “old” 32.

  • Fat Lever

    *198

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    Time for Pau to be the focus of the offense for LA…until the playoffs anyways. I’d but a 30 minutes per night restriction on him for the rest of the regular season.

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    Youre kind of overstating it with tthat first sntence, marcel?. …… This is different from roys situation. Kobes problem is behind the kneecap. Roys is between femur and tibia/fibia. …… Kobe has alot of miles, and father time is undefeated. …….. He has to adjust and it doesnt look like hes ready to do that

  • Fat Lever

    True that Tarzan. By the way, wouldn’t “Father Time” be a dope name for a hip hop artist? His first single could be called “Undefeated” and have cameo appearances by Kobe, T-Mac, AI, basically any and all retired athletes. Except Hershel Walker, that dude may be the first to beat Father Time.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    How long before JTailor21 comes in here and declares Kobe is faking it once more to get media attention.

  • http://twitter.com/BeezKneezy LA Huey

    I love to root against Mamba and the Lakers but this sucks. I hope he figures out how to redefine his game in order to play at an elite level for the next few years.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Screw basketball, I worry about quality of life for the dude after his playing days are over.
    Plus, the morning after games must be killer for him.

  • http://Philosophervision@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    Well, I tried to tell my brethren in the beginning of this Season that Bean is broken down and washed up.
    I had to retract a bit because, I was getting killed.
    But, now…

  • LakeShow

    nick: about 10 mins.

  • LakeShow

    broken down yes… washed up? no

  • http://www.slamonline.com KulchaKris

    I’m awaiting the first commenter to proclaim that the Laker’s won’t threepeat given Kobe’s physical condition. BTW, a pretty measured response from EBoy on this one….full of surprises, that dude.

  • hiphopcop

    Just this year Kobe, just this last year, lead us to a 3peat and just retire. That’s the way you got to go out Bean.

  • JTaylor21

    Quality of life? Come on BCrawford, you’re better than that. You act like dude works at a radioactive site or something. Trust that he will be living comfortably after he retires okay.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    not really surprised, it sucks. I just hope his ego allows him to find a new way to dominate games, because the Kobe i’m used to (or think i’m used to) will think he can score on everyone, always. Hopefully he can reinvent himself, there is not a more competitive player in the league, would hate for him to lose his edge before 35

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    MJ would NEVER let his knee get to bone on bone. He would impose his immense will on the cartilage until it grew back to how it was in his teens. Book it!

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    Tmac practices, john wall practices, roy practices? Right? Kobe is healthy enough to play big mintes in games and put up 25+ shots. Seems to me like hes healthy enough to practice. I can understand limiting his practice but him not practicing once this season seems absurd to me.

  • http://Www.dimemag.com Royal

    Now this can end in two ways:
    1) Kobe becomes a more efficent scorer ,posting up smaller players, and picking his spots more wisely

    2) Or he continues to play the same way…and starts embarrassing himself.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Tarzan if you can’t see the difference between Kobe & TMac then do you really think your going to understand any of this? Let alone John Wall and Kobe, there is an astronomical difference between tendinitis and lack of cartilage

  • http://Slamonline.com Rocksinmypants

    How bout a video for that crazy lucky layup he put in on the suns the other day?

  • http://Philosophervision@blogspot.com The Philosopher

    ^Owning Tarzan…

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Quality of life is a real issue, but almost all basketball players walk like 70-year old men after they retire. Athletes pay a price for those big contracts and perks.

  • D-Block

    Shocked that there aren’t more A.I. jokes by now, epsecially with Kobe skipping every practice thus far this season. That stinks that his knee is jacked up that bad, but not practicing with your team at all? Seems kind of out there…I know it’s Kobe and all but still…I think KB24 gets a “c’mon son for doing this”.

  • onlyclipsfanonslam

    Nick Tha Quick wins the comment contest lol

  • http://www.nba.com Gman

    Nick Tha Quick Just made me almost SPIT water on the computer LOL

  • 1982

    Not practicing with your team is bad, but AI was eating Taco Bell and hiding in the bathroom. Kobe Bryant has an injury that sidelines people for entire seasons. Not practicing but still managing to play four quarters is better than most…

    If Kobe Bryant loses his knee, he’s still better than Vince Carter, Tmac, Jason Richardson, etc. That’s sad that he’s slowing down, even if he’s at 32 athlete years. At the same time, he stayed healthy enough to win 5 rings, which is better than most get AKA Grant Hill (who’s making miracles happen), Yao, even Rasheed Wallace.

  • 1982

    Just saw Nick Tha Quick’s post, hahaha.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    Thanks onlyclipsfanonslam. I would credit working with David Letterman during the summertime but SVG would say that David Letterman was getting too much credit for this.

  • James

    He doesn’t have enough in the tank for practice but he’s game enough to jack up a heroic 25 per while calling out his teammates publicly for losing him games?

  • http://slamonline.com kobehater

    that is karma 4 being a d***. KOBE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so do the lakers

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    Nbk, you mean those players have different injuries? Their situations arent identical??? No shtt. …… If a player is healthy enough to play and screw up the offense by chucking away, then he can practice some too. Of course, it would be a bad idea to make him run wind sprints. Kobes not limping around and the lakers offense looks bad. Maybe he should practice some in order to improve their on court chemistry. Or, continue what their doing, and keep getting blown out by bucks(without jennings and corey), memphis, etc.

  • the nerve

    tarz u think u makin sense. stfu bich@ssn!gga

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    Dang, bone-on-bone, this isn’t anything you wanna hear if your a Laker fan like me, all I can do is hope he becomes a little more cautious on the court

  • http://twitter.com/smileyoufckers Bryan

    Thank GOD this came out when it did. I was running out of excuses for the Lakers awful play. Now if they don’t win we can blame this.

  • http://www.borntocompete.com angelito jr

    He should ask steve nash where the fountain of youth is.

  • http://www.fiba.com Darksaber

    @Shia. Exactly. Convenient, isn’t it?

  • http://slamonline.com Ugh

    The fountain of youth? Steve Nash has played ten thousand fewer minutes over 36 years than Kobe has in 32. Nash, likewise, doesn’t play any perceptible defense, whereas Kobe is eight times All NBA 1st defensive. The only comparable players in the league are KG and Kidd.

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    Tarzan you realize cartilage does not really regenerate? When it’s gone it’s gone, the more he runs (practices) the more it swells. It’s not like he doesn’t know the offense, and I’m sure he still gets shots up. Extended rest won’t fix anything, but supplemental rest in-between games is the only way to keep Kobe from constantly getting the knee drained and eventually missing extended time. Unless ofcourse you think they would be better without Kobe all together? Smh

  • bashmo

    Someone put it best earlier…the Lakers must focus on pounding the ball inside to their bigs now that Bynum is back, more specifically feed Gasol and let Kobe operate more around the block…while still getting the same bench production they have been throughout the season. Then, will they be on top of the NBA once more.

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