Will Phil Jackson Sit Injured Kobe?

Yeah, good luck with that, coach: “Kobe Bryant has ignored his ever-thickening medical file, playing through a broken finger, strained elbow, back spasms and, most recently, a sprained left ankle. But it might be time for him to sit a game or two, a thought that crossed Phil Jackson’s mind while the Lakers’ coach watched him hobble around the court Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. ‘It occurred to me yesterday during the course of that game,’ Jackson said a day after Bryant had only five points, his lowest total since a January 2005 game against Cleveland in which he scored two points before being carried off the court because of a severely sprained ankle. This ankle injury isn’t nearly as bad, but it’s the latest in a line of maladies that have plagued Bryant since he sustained a broken right index finger Dec. 11. Bryant was unavailable for comment Thursday. He has not missed a game because of injury since Dec. 6, 2006, against Atlanta (sprained right ankle) and is not expected to sit out Friday night against Denver.”