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Sheesh.
Kobe Bryant, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury suffered last April, headed to Germany for another round of platelet-rich plasma therapy on his right knee, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.
Per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, the procedure in question has nothing to with his Achilles injury and Kobe is expected to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers sometime next week.
Kobe underwent similar therapy—also known as Orthokine treatment—in 2011. The Los Angeles Times‘ Mike Bresnahan says Kobe went twice following the 2010-11 campaign to treat a “chronically sore right knee and an ailing left ankle” that troubled him at the time. He would go on to appear in all but eight games during the lockout-truncated 2011-12 season.
His current departure was so sudden that it sent shockwaves through the NBA. ESPN Los Angeles’ Dave McMenamin reported that Kobe was jogging and shooting at the fifth day of Lakers training camp, so good vibrations weren’t picked up after his abrupt departure.
The Lakers, however, maintain that this won’t impact his recovery from the Achilles injury and that it’s basically nothing to worry about (via McMenamin):
“I don’t think it’s a surprise,” Mike D’Antoni said Thursday of Bryant’s procedure. “I think he had it programmed, and just the way it was, he knew he had time because he’s not getting on the court yet. So I don’t think it’s a big deal, and I don’t think it caught him by surprise. Instead of doing it in August, he’s doing it now.
That whole August bit gets me. Why wait until October if he could’ve done it August? Did his current injury have some impact on when he could do it? Are the Lakers waxing optimism when really, the world is ending?
Any procedure that involves whisking a 35-year-old superstar away without warning is going to be perceived as a big deal. Doesn’t matter what the Lakers, D’Antoni or Kobe himself could say, people are going to worry. He’s older now, and bad things happen to the elderly in the sports world all the time.
Kobe’s situation is even more complex because he’s already trying to return from a potentially career-threatening injury. Had the Achilles injury never happened, then maybe this wouldn’t be seen as such a big deal. Then again, had it never happened, perhaps Kobe would have had the Orthokine treatment already and the Lakers and himself would be on their merry way.
For what it’s worth, Lakers forward Pau Gasol said that Kobe’s last trip to Germany went well, noting that Kobe felt like a “new man” afterward.
“It worked out well,” he said when asked about Kobe’s previous trip to Germany, per McMenamin “He said he was a new man with a brand-new knee. He said it felt a lot better.”
These mysterious trips to another continent have long been the subject of scrutiny. What exactly goes on there? Does Kobe have a special Black Mamba chamber that helps keep him younger than he really is? Will voodoo magic be employed to help preserve his explosion and ability to play? Is Kobe really just looking for an excuse to drive himself senseless on the Autobahn?
Whatever the reason, the Lakers only care about the results. If they’re to contend for a playoff spot in the talent-heavy Western Conference, they’re going to need a healthy Kobe. Since the timetable for his return from Achilles rehab is still unknown, the last thing they need is more turmoil, courtesy of another setback.
“There’s no concern whatsoever,” D’Antoni opined.
One can only hope that’s true.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
