An injury to Kobe Bryant’s left ankle finally pushed his out off of the court late last week. The injury began as pain, but last Thursday doctors determined he suffered from a sprain.

Kobe has dealt with multiple injuries this season, including a broken right index finger, groin, lower back, right elbow, right knee, and now left ankle injuries. The damage is taking its toll on Kobe’s career; he was forced to end a 234-game streak of games played, which puts him among the most active players in the NBA.

Since diagnosed with the sprain, Bryant has been in therapy to get back in shape as soon as possible. He played in last Friday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, a game that the Lakers lost. The next day, he was scratched from the lineup during Saturday’s game against the Trailblazers.

Bryant is now listed as a day-to-day player. Whether Bryant plays is, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, up to the player himself.

Jackson decided to allow Bryant time to recover before the All Star break.

"We have an opportunity here with two games before the All-Star break and there is some free time there if he does need to take a longer time," Jackson said. "We're trying to give him the liberty to do that."

Bryant has been inconsistent since he first injured the ankle on January 29th, when he collided with 76ers player Elton Brand. The pain in the ankle worsened when Lamar Odom stepped onto his foot during the game against Charlotte, presumably re-aggravating the injury.

Jackson stated that Kobe underwent several tests on Monday to determine the extent of his injuries; according to the coach, the test result were very positive, better than what the Lakers were expecting.

Although Kobe is very committed to the team and to his responsibility to play, some injuries simply require time to heal.

The Lakers coach did admit that he had wanted Kobe to play on Wednesday, but said that the decision was entirely Bryant’s. Kobe is an important player and leader on the team, but his health is more important now. Bryant chose to sit out of Wednesday’s game as well.

Bryant is nonetheless on the starting lineup for the All-Star game on Sunday in Dallas; his name hasn’t been scratched, and sources say that he is planning on playing. Jackson is backup this decision as well.

"That's something the league has put such a priority on," Jackson said. "They're trying to draw 150,000 people to a game and it's a big deal. It's [like] a revival meeting."

Bryant is considered one of the best players in the NBA and is much respected among the players in the NBA. He is considered the leader of the Los Angeles Lakers and has been compared with Michael Jordan on several occasions.

About the Author

Audrey Nolan has been a prominent writer on daily NBA games; sports news and the sportsbetting industry for many exceptional sport web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.