Will the NBA Let Kobe Skip Sunday’s Game?

by Marcel Mutoni

That’s the big question this weekend, and it’s not an easy one to answer.

The Lakers obviously want the injured Bryant to skip the ASG, but the League would like for him to play (even if it’s just for a brief cameo). And who knows what Kobe himself wants to do. Actually, it’s not hard to guess that he probably wants to suit up.

A league official confirmed Thursday night that the NBA is not looking for potential replacements to fill Bryant’s spot on the Western Conference squad. That’s because the league office still expects Bryant to start and play for the West.

Bryant is expected to meet with League officials today and we should find out pretty soon what his status for Sunday is.

Even in the unlikely scenario that he chooses not play, it’ll be hard to wrangle out this arrangement, seeing as how he played on Wednesday night and is expected to lead the troops on Tuesday in Atlanta.