Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will have surgery on his torn labrum in his right shoulder on Wednesday, which is expected to effectively going to end his season.
Per Lakers PR, Kobe Bryant will have surgery on Wednesday. Timeline estimate to come after surgery.
— Shahan Ahmed (@shahanLA) January 26, 2015
While the timeline following the surgery is admittedly unknown, it’s likely to end his season. If the injury would not be enough to hold him out, it’s likely the Lakers will keep out, considering they’ve been debating sitting him out this season even before the injury.
This is the third consecutive season that Bryant’s year will be ended prematurely by injury. His 2012-13 season ended abruptly to the ruptured Achilles while last season never really got off the ground before a fractured knee kept him on the bench. This season, he played nearly half the games before succumbing to injury.
The injury came during last Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans. After driving baseline and rising for a dunk, Bryant was in noticeable discomfort and would ice his shoulder in-between quarters and into the fourth. Head coach Byron Scott re-entered Bryant into the contest, but it was clear that he was less than 100% considering he was forced to dribble, pass, and shoot left-handed. In typical Black Mamba fashion, though, that did little to slow him down.
Nonetheless, without Bryant, the Lakers will struggle mightily, as they’ve already shown. In the two games since his injury, the Lakers were blown out in San Antonio and embarrassed on their home court against the Rockets, which will likely be a reoccurring trend sans Bryant.
A timeline will be made available after Bryant’s surgery.